Denerim's Shadow
by TheKhajiitWarrior
Summary: Kallian Tabris had an average life for a city elf. Then, the day of her wedding came. For the injustices done to her family, Tabris drenched the Arl of Denerim's Estate in the blood of his servants. Now the human hating, violent, and murderous elf is a Grey Warden and forced to save the world. Or preferably watch it burn. Eventual Leliana/Kallian Tabris.
1. A Day For Celebration

" _Kallian_.". My name is quietly whispered in the dark, but I don't react. Why should I? Today's the day I've been dreading for the last few months. Today is the day I'll be forcibly married to a man I've never met in order to 'strengthen ties between alienages'. " Kallian.". I groan at whoever's saying my name and bring my hands up to cover my face. "Come on! I've let you sleep in as long as I can!". I remove my right hand from my face and show whoever's talking what I think of them. "Ha ha, very funny. Now,". I hear a scrapping noise as someone moves their feet. "GET UP!". A tremendous weight slamming into my stomach forces air from my lungs and my eyes to snap open.

My hands are snatched from my head and I see my cousin's face looming above me. Shianni's bright eyes, wide smile, and short red hair obscure my sight. "Nice to see you're finally awake.". Her warm breath and the smell of booze wash over me. Looks like she's already enjoying my wedding enough for both of us. I suppose there's no harm in it. I lean up and rest my forehead against hers before saying a single, croaking word. " _Up_.". Shianni chuckles a little and gives me another whiff of booze, then stands up. I slide out of bed and cringe when my feet hit the cold floor. I'm still adjusting when Shianni starts talking to me. "So, do you remember what day it is?".

Obviously I'd remember a day I was dreading. _Maybe I can play ignorant and hold on to my denial for a few more hours_. "The day the elves rise up and take back the Dales?". Shianni rolls her eyes and takes my hands in her own. My cousin starts swinging our arms and speaks in a high, cheery voice. "It's the day of your wedding! Aren't you excited? You and Soris are both going to be married off today!". I groan and roll my head back. Shianni allows me my small groan and when my head's back to normal I tell her what I've told her a thousand times. "Shianni, I don't-". She reaches up and places a single finger on my lips before finishing my sentence for me. "-do dick. You've told me that before.".

I close my mouth and feel my lips form a deep frown. Shianni smiles and tries to cheer me up. "I'm not saying you have to like marrying him or do anything with him, but you _do_ have to at least show up for the wedding and get hitched.". She drops my hands and nudges me a little. "Besides, I can sneak you away and take you to The Pearl later.". I smile a little and my cousin and try to cheer up for her sake. The promise of sneaking to the whorehouse later cheers me up a tiny bit, but I'm still dreading the hours until then. However, Shianni believes my smile and thinks I'm cheered up. "See, it's not so bad!". She pats me on the arm.

"Now come on. You need to find Soris and get ready.". My cousin turns and leaves with a single promise. "I'll bring booze and sovereigns for The Pearl later.". I smile and nod at her, then look around my family's small house in an attempt to stall having to get ready for the wedding. A single dining/living/sleeping room is connected to my own tiny bedroom and the only door in the entire house is used to enter and exit the building. I'd keep looking around, but I can see my father moving around in the kitchen. If I don't get a move on, then he'll start worrying about me. I stop looking around and move to the small chest in my room. Inside, I find my wedding gown and a health potion.

There's also a small grease trap, but I have no idea how to use it. My mother tried to teach me, but by the time I was nine it was clear to everyone I was a warrior and not a rogue. Once I'm dressed I decide to head out and find Soris. As I walk through the kitchen I avoid my father at all cost. We've argued and fought about my marriage so much that I know both of us will be relieved once all of this is over. Part of the problem is my fault for not speaking up before my father paid for my future husband (Nelaros) to move here, and part of it is my father's fault for refusing to believe I only liked women. At first he thought it was a ploy to get out of marrying.

Now he's accepted it as truth, but he couldn't do anything to stop the wedding. Still, it's not his fault. I make sure not to slam the door when I exit in case he gets the wrong idea. Once I'm outside I look at my home and sigh. The cramped, dirty slum is the exact same as always. Filthy, smelly, and far less than what my people deserve. It's terrible, but it's still home. If those damned humans try to take it from me, then I'll fight with every breath I have. I hear some drunkards drinking to my wedding and screaming congratulations at me. I recognize a few of them from my trips to the inn and Pearl, so I wave at them before heading towards the main square where my wedding will be held.

The gigantic tree in the middle of the square is dangling with colorful flags. Every shop in the square is closed up and everyone around is quietly talking. I see two people I recognize as my mother's friends talking near the stage in the corner of the square, but I can't bring myself to go over to them. The memory of losing my mother to those filthy _shemlen_ who think they're better than elves is too painful. Talking to them would only open up new wounds. Besides, I see Soris near the tree. I smile and charge my cousin. Soris has his back turned to me, so he screams in terror when I ram into him and scoop him up in my arms.

" _Kallian!_ ". I drop my cousin at his scream, but the second he's on his feet I ruffle his messy, brown hair. Soris bats my hands away and greets me with a smile that nearly splits his face in half. I want to talk of light things that avoid our fate. Soris just wants to get down to business. "Are you excited about getting married?". I decide to let Soris know what I think. I grab my throat, throw my head back, and let out a gagging noise. Soris laughs a little before clapping his hands to get my attention. Once I'm looking at him my cousin tries the exact same tactic as Shianni used. "It might not be that bad! If we're being honest I'd trade for him.

I met him and he's almost exactly like you!". He almost smirks at me before finishing. "A brute in battle.". I scoff and pretend to look offended. However, the expression of silliness has dropped off of my cousin's face. He nods towards the edge of the square where two unfamiliar elves are huddled together and talking. "We'd better go meet our future spouses.". Well, looks like it's now or never. I promised my father I'd marry the man he wanted, but I never said when. I turn to leave, but a hand on my wrist stops me. "You know I can't let you do that.". My fight deflates from me as I allow Soris to drag me towards my future husband. I groan as we walk, but don't try to break away again. I'd only make it harder at this point.

When we approach the two elves I nearly recoil at the man my father's promised me to. He looks like he could be my brother! Short, ruffled blonde hair; soft, blue eyes (which look better on me); and paler skin than most elves. I once again feel an urge to rebel against everything and run, but Soris places his hand on my back and refuses to let me go. My groom is fidgeting and looking around when I meet him. Soris releases me and pulls his bride a small distance away to talk. My groom smiles, but seems to falter when I don't smile back and just keep looking at him. What does he want me to do? We're going to marry either way and I'm sure anything he says is going to piss me off, so why not save us both a lot of heartache and not say anything at all?

He obviously doesn't follow my logic and tries to start off our marriage to a wonderful fantasy start. "Hello, I'm Nelaros. So,". He fidgets some more and can't seem to meet my eyes. "are you nervous about being married?". I decide to be straight with him and not be around the bush. "I'm going to run away or leave you as soon as I can. I don't do dick, and I _definitely_ don't do _your_ dick.". Nelaros seems to lose all of his energy and not know what to do. He doesn't even fidget. He just looks at the ground and mumbles what I'm assuming is 'sorry'.

I'd harass him more in the hopes of chasing him off, but something else happens before we can start. A loud noise near the entrance to the square causes all of us to turn. What I see causes my heartbeat to fill my ears and my vision to shrink down to a pinpoint. Three human men are grabbing and hooting at a group of elven women. Shianni, Soris's bride, and a few elves I've seen around the alienage are among the women. I feel my hands curl into fists. I need a knife. None of the men are armed or armored. I could take them all out before they could react. One of the men grabs a woman and yanks her close. _Fuck the knife_. I feel wind snap by my ears as I charge the men.

I'm halfway across the square when Shianni acts first. She grabs a nearby vase and smashes it over the lead man's head. One's down, but two are still standing. I'm nearly upon them when Shianni sees me and grabs me. I begin fighting, screaming, and biting my cousin's shoulder. Both of us begin cursing one another, but Soris is the deciding factor. He comes over and both of my cousins work to subdue me as one of the men drags the unconscious one away. The last remaining man begins screaming at Shianni. "Do you know what you just did?! That was the Arl's son!". Shianni's arms drop and she begins struggling to breathe at the news.

I couldn't care less. The humans who rule this city have been lording themselves over us for too long! It's about time they get what they deserve! I almost manage to break free of Soris's grip. I elbow him in the gut and charge, but he still holds on to my wrist. Now I'm swinging my one good arm at the man, screaming, and snapping at the air like a rabid dog. The man cowers away and I snarl off a threat. "IF HE'S THE ARL'S SON, THEN JUST IMAGINE WHAT WE'LL DO TO YOU!". I break free of Soris and the last human runs away as quickly as he can. I go to charge after him, but Shianni grabs my waist and works together with Soris to heave me into the air.

I keep screaming, cursing, and kicking. However, I've had these outburst before and my cousins know when I'm calmed down enough for them to put me on the ground. When my feet hit the floor I'm calm, but still pissed. I've killed humans before, and I'm only a few kills away from an even twenty. The Arl's son deserves death along with his friends. They're the kind of humans who're worse than all the rest. They're the kind who think it's their maker-given right to fuck any woman they see, and when human women reject them they think they can rape elven women with immunity. They're also the kind I can see growing into killing my people for fun and because they can get away with it.

I'm still pissed and pouting when Shianni hugs me, mumbles something about needing another drink, and walks away. I have no idea why she's so worried. If they come down here again, then all she needs to do is let me at them. I know how to kill and I know what wells to dump bodies into. Suddenly, Soris taps my arm and warns me of another problem. "Human.". I look up to see a dark-skinned man with flowing dark hair wearing thick armor standing near the edge of the square. I curl my lip and begin stomping over towards the man. Soris jogs beside me and tries to calm me down. "I think you need to take a deep breath and-". We're too close to the man to keep talking, so he whispers his last few words. "oh Maker we're too closed to stop.".

Damn right, and we aren't stopping no matter how close or far away we are. The man looks at us as we approach and attempts to greet me with a friendly smile. My natural scowl doesn't even put him off. The man starts to open his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it. "Leave. Now. We don't need your kind here.". The man doesn't drop his smile and speaks in a surprisingly friendly tone. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but I have business here and need to stay. I don't plan to harm anyone or break anything. I simply wish to watch the public wedding and see old friends I have in the alienage.".

I feel my heartbeat begin to pound in my ears and my hands clench into fists. "Leave, or else I'll drag your body out of here.". The man's smile doesn't falter, but neither of us can speak when elder Valendrian approaches both of us. I instantly feel my rage leave me. Valendrian offers me a deep frown and launches into a lecture. "Tabris, calm yourself! This is my friend, Duncan. He's a grey warden and a good man.". Duncan slaps Valendrian on the back, smiles even larger, and talks to the elder instead of me. "Don't worry, I like her! She has spirit! And, from the looks of it she's a brave fighter.". Valendrian keeps frowning.

"I'd say the world has far more use for those who know how to stay their blades.". Valendrian pats Duncan on the shoulder and motions at all of us to go to the stage in the corner of the square. "Come on everyone! Time for the wedding!". I dig my heels in and Soris is once again forced to drag me along. I fight a little, but not nearly as hard as I physically can. I want everyone to know I don't want this, but I also don't want to upset my father. Luckily, I'm frozen in fear when I'm on the stage. My groom, Soris, and his bride are all standing on the stage with a priestess in front of us. She's about to start getting deep into the ritual when a commotion at the steps of the stage gets everyone's attention.

I turn and nearly leap off the stage, but my rage causes me to simply stand and shake in place. The three men from before are climbing up the stairs. The priestess begins to say something I'm not listening to, but one of the men _cracks_ her across the skull and she goes down. That's when the Arl's son speaks. "Come on boys, it's a party! Grab a whore and have a go!". He grabs Soris's bride and I lose it. I leap for him with my hands outstretched. That's when Nelaros grabs me and tries to keep me in place. "I'LL KILL YOU, NELAROS! LET ME GO AND I'LL SHOW YOU HOW A REAL ELF FIGHTS!". I turn to shout those words at my 'husband', then turn to scream at the three human men. That's when a fist meets my face.

* * *

I wake up with a pounding in the back of my skull and a bit of blood in my mouth. I groan and slowly sit up as I hear Shianni calling my name. _Is it my wedding day already_? That's when I remember who I am and what happened. I shoot up and open my eyes to see myself in a bare room surrounded by the other women. One of the bridesmaids is praying in the center of the room, but everyone else is around me. All of them look relieved I'm awake, but Shianni is the only one that talks. "Cousin! We worried you might have gotten hit too hard...". I hold up a finger to tell Shianni to be quiet, stand up, take a deep breath, and begin beating the wall.

"I GOT KNOCKED OUT WITH ONE HIT?! THAT'S FUCKING NUGSHIT! I'VE TAKEN HARDER HITS IN TRAINING!". I'm interrupted from banging my head on the wall when Shianni pulls me away, grabs my shoulders, and tries to reason with me. "We need to get out of here.". I nod and tell her my plan. "I'm going to slaughter them like pigs and get us out of here.". One of the bridesmaids speaks up. "Us? Five unarmed women?". One of the other bridesmaids speaks up. "Maybe we should just do what they say, go home, and pretend none of this ever happened.". We can't argue or debate anymore because the door opens and five armed and armored guards walk in.

The leader begins saying something, but I'm starting to fall into another rage. I snap when one of the guards draws his sword and decapitates the praying elven women. _HOW DARE HE KILL AN ELF! I'LL RIP OFF HIS SKULL AND PISS IN IT!_ I feel myself crouched down on the ground and breathing heavy while the guards lead everyone else away. One man reaches for me, but a deep, feral growling noise from me stops him. The guard shuffles back and nobody touches me. Now there's only two guards left. My vision is blurry and all I hear is white noise. Slowly, I stand. The guard is moving his lips and I vaguely hear something about how 'it'll be easier if I don't fight'.

Then, I see Soris come through the open door with a sword in his hand. " _Hello_?". His voice is distant and far away. I can't even hear what the guard says. All I know is Soris leans down, lays the sword on the ground, and slides it through the guard's legs until it comes to rest at my feet. Instantly, I yank the weapon up. _It's not my usual two-handed weapon, but I can kill with it_. " Oh, shit!". I look up at the guards as they draw they weapons. Yes, I can _definitely_ kill with this. I scream and charge the nearest guard. My vision is still blurry, my ears are filled with noise, and my entire body is shaking. The guard doesn't even get a hit in before my sword is lodged deep into the meat of his throat.

The next guard is attacking Soris with his back turned to me. Bad move. I leap onto the man's back and get him in a choke-hold using my sword. I lean in close to his helm and whisper the last words he'll ever hear. " _I'm going to slit your throat like the pig you are and rape your cold corpse_.". I have no intent of touching his corpse, but I want his last thought to be one of fear, disgust, and worry. Finally, I yank my sword closer to me and feel his hot, thick blood run in between my fingers. I groan and pull the corpse closer to me. I rest my head against his helm and allow myself a moment of peace. Shem blood washes over my hands and I groan in satisfaction.

Then, Soris brings me back to reality. "Save the women!". I sigh, drop the corpse, and begin taking off his armor. Soris gasps and I put his fears to rest as I take off my own clothes. "I'm just putting on his armor and taking his sword!". Soris grumbles something, but I ignore him. It's time to save my cousin (and everyone else) while getting to kill shems! Once I'm armored and armed with a two-handed sword I nod at Soris and go through the door. We're in a hallway with many doors, but I choose the one at the end. I burst through into a gigantic kitchen with a shem cook in the middle. The man gasps and points at my bloody armor and sword. "What are you two-".

An elven servant walks up behind the man and knocks him over the head. My battle high is going down a little, but I simply grunt at the man in appreciation before thundering past him and into the dining hall. We're instantly stopped by three guards. One shem dares to speak to me. "Why are you two covered in blood?". Soris begins trying to think of something, but I save us time. I scream, raise my two-handed sword, and cleanly decapitate the man in one swing. The other guards scream and pull out their weapons. I plunge my sword into the belly of the nearest guard, then chase the other guard across the room when he tries to run. I impale him on my sword and watch him squirm for a few seconds.

Then, Soris fires a crossbow I didn't know he had and ends the man. I grunt and slide the corpse off my sword, then begin tearing through the estate. I pay no attention to where I'm going. I rip open doors, find shems, and kill them. I shove elven servants out of the way, but no shem is left alive. I search every hall, every room, every corner, and every single inch of the castle. Unarmed, armed, young, old, blind, deaf, begging, fighting. All of them find their end on my sword. If they run I chase them down, if they beg I make their death slow, if they fight I whisper a final threat in their ear. My shoulder is ruined, my armor is dented, my sword is bent, and blood is seeping out of multiple wounds all over my body.

I'm only briefly brought back to my right mind when I enter a hallway and see Nelaros cut down by a guard. _Looks like he wanted to finally help. Sweet_. _Wasn't a brute in battle like me though_. I didn't like Nelaros, but he was an elf and deserves to be avenged. The man who cut him down is smirking, but when he looks up his smile vanishes. I brandish my weapon and scream like a wild animal. The two men with the guard try to draw their weapons. I cut all of them apart limb by limb and relish in their screams of agony. I'm holding up the bleeding, begging guard captain when Soris catches up with me. He shoots the man dead and says something, but my battle rage hasn't cooled.

I'm soaked in the blood of shems, but I need more. I toss the corpse away, loot Nelaros for my wedding ring (to sell or keep), and keep tearing through the estate. However, the shemlen have either died or fled. I only find one standing outside a big, fancy door. The man is the heaviest armored and armed like I've never seen. I scream my challenge and he briefly falters. That's all I need. I charge the man, toss my sword to the side, and wrap him in a hug. Then, I slam him into the ground and yank his two-handed sword away from him. When I cut his throat the blood spurts out and baptizes me in the inside of what a shem smells like. I begin yanking off my own armor and trade it for the guard's. When I'm dressed and armed I make sure Soris is with me, then enter the fancy room.

What I find makes me start shaking worse than ever. The Arl and his two lackeys are standing around Shianni. My cousin is curled up on the ground and clutching her stomach. I don't need to ask what happened. The lackeys turn and begin backing away. "Elven whore!". One of them snarls at me. I show him my teeth in an animal like way. He cowers. " _Shem bitch_!.". I turn my attention to the Arl's son. He's holding up his hands and trying to talk. "Woah! Woah, let's be reasonable! I'll give you some gold and you can go! I won't do anything to any of you, and you'll leave. Sound good?". I ask the one person that matters. "Shianni?". My cousin shakes her head and can't meet my eyes. "Make them pay.".

I scream and charge. I take out the two lackeys first. One decapitated and the other cut open like a fish. I want to savor killing the Arl's son. I make sure to cut off one of his hands first. Then, when he's screaming I force him onto the bed and dig my knee into his gut. I take my sword and use it like a saw. Slowly, cutting into each appendage and _popping_ it off. His blood flows, splatters, and washes over me. Finally, I end his life. I take my bloody hands, place them around his head, and dig my fingers into his eyes. His screaming and the white noise in my ears make a beautiful sound together. I don't stop pushing until I hear his eyes _pop_.

Finally, my thumbs sink deep into his skull and I feel soft, squishy meat engulf my fingertips. I rip my hands out of his brain and walk over to Shianni. I carefully help my cousin up and she puts most of her weight on me. "Did you make them pay?". She whispers. I shake my head. "We need to find Soris. He'll take you back. I have unfinished business.". Shianni shakes her head. "Please, come with me. You've done enough. How much of this castle runs red with the blood of shemlen?". Soris arrives just in time for me to hand Shianni to him. "Not enough. Never enough.".

* * *

My chainmail armor is split, my sword is a twisted piece of metal, and I'm soaked in blood by the time I'm back at the alienage. My entire body is sore and aching from the hours I spent combing through the estate and slaughtering anyone I could get to. I want to go comfort Shianni before taking a long nap, but I can't. The second I cross the bridge into the alienage I'm stopped by Valendrian, Soris, and Duncan All three of them block my path. I open my mouth and say two words. "It's done.". Soris is looking at me with wide eyes and a smile, but Valendrian is scowling and shaking his head. "You shouldn't have done that.". Duncan doesn't chime in and I can't read his expression.

Valedndrian keeps lecturing me. "You _know_ they're going to come after you and Soris!". I shrug. I wasn't considering that when I killed everyone I possibly could, and I'm still not worried. I'm a survivor and a few shemlen aren't going to stop me. I decide to tell my elder as much. "We'll go to the Dalish. If I have to cut down a few shem to get out of the city, then I'll gladly kill them before joining the elves of the wild.". Duncan shifts his weight, but I can't tell what he's thinking. The man doesn't seem too bad if Valendrian is friends with him and I'd like to know what he thinks of me. I hear the thundering of armored boots coming across the bridge. _Looks like I'll never find out_.

I draw my destroyed weapon and turn to see five guards standing there. The head one struts forward and eyes me as he asks a simple question. "Who tore apart the Arl's Estate, murdered his son, and killed almost all of the staff?". I fall into a fighting stance and make a quick decision to take all of the blame. Soris doesn't deserve being put down like a rabid dog (the fate that awaits me). The guard goes 'hmm'. "I doubt a single person, no matter how savage of a fighter, could take down all of the palace, but I'll accept it.". He points back towards the human part of the city. "Come quietly and we'll hold you in a private cell until the Arl returns.". I shake my head and start to charge.

I'm stopped by six hands grabbing me and holding me back. I scream and begin fighting to get free and the guards begin screaming for my captors to release me so they can kill me. A loud, clear voice cuts through all of the screaming and shuts everyone up. " _I conscript this elf into the service of the Grey Wardens_!". Everyone freezes, but I doubt their hearts drop like mine. The wardens dedicate themselves to fighting monstrous Darkspawn when a blight arrives, they die young, and their short lives are full of fighting and struggle. I love fighting, but not fighting monsters plagued with the deadly Blight. I want to argue, but my panic is causing me to go silent.

I'm shocked into silence, but Duncan and the guard are talking. "You sure you wish to conscript her? She's given my men more trouble than the rest of her people combined, and you're letting her escape justice.". Duncan stands firm. "I'm conscripting her. Give her an hour to say her goodbyes and we'll be leaving the city by horse.". The guard sighs before turning around and motioning his men to fall back. Everyone releases me and I numbly take Soris's hand as he begins walking me back towards my house. "Thank you.". He whispers to me. I shrug and he chuckles a little. "You know, you've always been my hero ever since we were children. Now it's just official.".

I'm touched one of my closest friends and cousin would feel that way about me, but I can't react right now. I'm still numb thinking about how I'll have to spend the rest of my short life battling Darkspawn. I'm still not feeling anything when my cousin takes me into my house and explains the situation to my father. My father embraces me and manages to whisper a few words of comfort in my ear while I clutch onto him like my life depends on it. I don't remember much of the goodbye. All of my thoughts are focused on what's to come. When Soris begins pulling me away I give my father a kiss on the forehead. "I love you.". We both say it at the same time. Finally, Soris begins dragging me away to my new life.

* * *

"I'm hungry!". I slam my horse on the side to catch up with Duncan as I complain. He ignores me and I sigh. Our white stallions are loaded down with supplies for the long ride to Ostagar. Apparently, that's where the start of the Blight is. It's where thousands of Darkspawn will horde together in their attempt to enter Ferelden. The Grey Warden's job- well, _my_ job- is to stop them. When the Darkspawn's leader (the Archdemon) shows itself, then Duncan's promised me he'll know what to do. Once the Archdemon is dead, then the Blight will end. Duncan's already warned me that Blights last for years on end and not to expect to be free of fighting in it.

After the Blight is over, then Duncan promised I could visit my family again. My life still belongs to the Wardens, but he'll at least allow me to get closure. It's something. I'm still mulling over how I feel about becoming a Grey Warden as we ride through the thick woods south towards Ostagar. Neither of us have said a word for three hours. Duncan's the first to break. "I almost made your mother a Grey Warden once. She wanted to stay for her family. There was no Blight, so I allowed it. I never imagined her daughter would grow to be an even greater warrior than her.". I love being compared to my mother and my ego purrs, but I scoff and glare at the human riding beside me. "I don't care what you or any of your _shemlen_ think.".

Duncan sighs and pulls on the reins of his horse. I don't know why I don't keep riding, but I yank my horse to a stop a few feet in front of Duncan. When I turn my beast around to look at the man I see he has a map out. However, I clear my throat and he looks me in the eyes. "You don't want to be a Grey Warden, do you?". I don't know. I honestly don't know. I shake my head because I don't want him to start thinking I like him. I quietly respect him, but that's all. Duncan sighs and nudges his horse up so we're side by side and facing opposite directions. "Okay. Here.". He pushes the map into my hand. I offer him a scowl before looking at the map.

We're marked in the middle of the woods and a red path is leading to another part of the forest. "What's this?". I demand as I eye Duncan. The man remains emotionless. "A map to the Dalish. Go live with your free kin if you want. You'll be able to kill every human you see, be free of a forced marriage, and never have to worry about Darkspawn. I'll send secret word to your cousin, Soris, that you escaped and fled to the Dalish. If you're lucky your family members might join you. If not, then at least you're free.". I look at the map in my hands. The Dalish! My mother use to speak highly of their freedom and skill in battle, but she warned me that they looked upon us city elves as 'domesticated' and all of them were generally wary of outsiders unless you knew them on a personal level.

Duncan begins riding away. "If you wish to reach the Dalish within the week, then you'd best get riding.". I turn and see that the human isn't even looking back. Can I do this? Can I really abandon the man who saved me and go live with people I don't even know? I try to picture myself with a Dalish tattoo covering my face, sitting around a fire in a Dalish camp, and telling Dalish children Dalish stories. No. That's not me. The Dalish need someone to help them, but so do the city elves. I need to help people like Shianni, Nelaros, and the bridesmaid that got cut down. I crumple the map up and shove it into my saddle, the yank my horse around and ride up beside Duncan.

The human doesn't turn around or acknowledge me. Instead, he holds out an apple. I snatch the fruit up and bite into it. I tear the food apart and toss the core to the side. "How did you know I wouldn't run to the Dalish?". Duncan looks at me with another one of his kind smiles on his face. "I knew your mother and I know you.". He looks forward to the trail and keeps speaking. "You aren't a kind woman. Somewhere along the line of your life you lost any ounce of kindness or compassion you had. You take pleasure in killing and fight for no other reason than to shed blood.". I feel my anger rising, but surprisingly don't snap. I'm pissed, but I can control it and not lash out at Duncan.

My calmness pays off because he keeps talking. "You're a violent woman and I see not a single ounce of kindness in you. So far, you've only showed me pettiness, rage, and a thirst for blood. You're the farthest thing from your mother's personality, but I can see something in you. A potential for goodness and kindness.". He meets my eyes again. "If that potential is nurtured and fed, then I _know_ it can grow into something great. Just like your mother always wanted.". He looks back at the riding trail. We don't talk for the rest of the ride.

* * *

 **Author's Note: This chapter is extremely long because I didn't want the Origin story to get chopped up into tiny bits and decided to write it all in one go. Usually they'll be much shorter. I've slightly edited some scenes and added the forest scene to make it more dramatic, and other scenes will be slightly edited or changed. Nothing too major, but a little tweak here and there along with some side-quest thrown in once in a while.**


	2. Ostagar

The sun is just rising when we finally reach the entrance into Ostagar. Duncan and I both stop our horses and my senior allows me a few seconds to take in the sight of where I'll be living until the end of the Blight. The tremendous stone bridge before us stretches across an endless valley below us and on the other side I see the fortress that's meant to hold off the Darkspawn. Multiple spiraling towers stretch themselves up to the sky and harsh stone walls are bouncing the sunshine around them. Towers, high walls, and open expansions between each area are what make up Ostagar. Not a real fortress like the ones in stories, but it'll hold from a siege.

Hopefully. I dismount and get my personal items off my horse. I left almost everything behind, but Duncan allowed me to bring my most treasured items. My mother's boots, a dagger my father gave me when I was a child, and a dried flower bracelet that Shianni made for me when we were younger. Duncan has dismounted while I gathered my things and now makes his way over to me. "Look sharp, King Cailan's coming.". I look at where Duncan's looking and see a heavily armored blonde man coming towards us. "Please, don't snarl! Just nod if you have to!". Duncan manages to whisper to me. _Oh joy of joys, I get to meet the fucking king! I'm the luckiest damn elf in all of Ferelden!_

I've seen the damage he's done from his seat in Denerim; that's enough 'meeting' for me. The king of Ferelden cracks a smile when he sees us and stops right in front of Duncan and I. Another man is following the king. He is the exact physical opposite of Cailan. This man's old, dark-haired, and is wearing silver armor while Cailan is wearing gold. I know who he is. Loghain Mac Tir. One of the generals of the Ferelden Revolution from Orlais. He's also the father of Queen Anora Mac Tir (the bride of Cailan). I've heard stories of his heroics a thousand times, so it's no surprise Cailan would want Loghain here. My observation time is interrupted when the King greets me.

"Hello! You must be the newest Grey Warden!". He briefly turns to Duncan. "Is she the one you told me about? The one who's mother was almost a Grey Warden?". I almost snap my normal 'don't talk about my mother', but bite my tongue until it bleeds instead. Duncan's a good man and anything I say can reflect him. I despise the Shemlen lord before me, but I'll be quiet. For Duncan's sake. Duncan nods at Cailan and the king turns his attention to me. "So, what made you decide to become a Grey Warden?". Okay, I've been quiet long enough. Just one little jab before being good for the rest of my life. "The Arl's son raped my friend, I killed as many Shemlen as I could in response, and Duncan conscripted me when royal guards came to kill me.".

A deep groan from Duncan and a stunned silence from the king. His friendly demeanor is briefly gone as he seems to struggle with words. Finally, a half-baked response trying to make up for his entire race's sins. "I'm sorry. I'll look into that when I get back to Denerim.". He turns to Duncan. "Will the Darkspawn attack tonight?". Duncan nods and the king continues. "Perfect! A king and the Grey Wardens fighting side by side to stop Darkspawn! Just like the legends!". Loghain finally adds to the conversation. "You rely on this Grey Wardens too much!". Actually, I think I can agree with that statement. Grey Wardens are needed to kill an Archdemon, but a king shouldn't rely too heavily on a group that lies outside his ability to control.

Besides, the old general is probably smarter than anyone here. I don't respect Loghain as much as Duncan, but the old man's proven himself in battle. I can respect anyone of any race who proves they've got the guts to be a true fighter. Cailan doesn't agree. "And I told you that I'm the king!". Cailan ignores his general from then on in favor of speaking to Duncan more. "I'll meet with you and your people later.". He nods to me before turning and starting his walk back towards Ostagar. Loghain follows him. Now it's just me and Duncan. I decide to speak first.

"Cailan is a fool who thinks the Blight is almost over.". Duncan makes a 'ehh' sound that sounds like 'I don't disagree, but I can't agree'. Then, he slaps me on the back and says what sound like parting words. "I'll take care of the horses and supplies. You should go find Alistair. He's white, messy brownish hair, and about my height. He'll be helping you pass the trial required to become a Grey Warden.". Duncan doesn't say anymore as he begins unsaddling our horses. I slink away and begin making my way over the stone bridge and into Ostagar. As I walk I look over the edge of the bridge to what's below. The tremendous valley is already marked with signs of battle and men are already moving around and preparing barricades.

 _I might be in another battle tonight against a Darkspawn horde_. Somehow, that's not a very cheery thought. I stop looking at the ground and begin walking as quickly as my legs will allow. Once I'm inside Ostagar I take another second to look around and marvel. Soldiers running to and fro, burning campfires, tents set up, and everything else an encampment of soldiers need. Seeing all of this makes the last few hours seem realer somehow. Like I was walking through a dream and someone's thrown cold water on me. My insides start to twist and my chest hurts. _No, I can't do that!_

I'm a warrior, and I can handle this. I take a deep breath, steady myself, and begin walking around camp looking for Alistair. I don't find him, but I do find something that grabs my attention. A Mabari hound is locked up in a separate kennel and a man (who I'm assuming is the kennel master) is looking over him. I instantly rush over and look inside the makeshift wooden pin. The Mabari is sick and struggling to stand up. _Awh, poor dog!_ I've always had a soft spot for animals and seeing the descendant of the wolves who fought with Dane is impressive. Mabari are one of the most prized dogs in all of Ferelden. Hence why I've never seen one up close.

An elf living in an alienage owning one is a joke nobles tell each other; not even a remote possibility in reality. I look at the poor beast and my heart aches for him. He's covered in black Blight, large enough I could ride him (although a human would kill him and I'm certain I wouldn't be any fun to lift), and whimpering in pain. The kennel master suddenly sees me and instantly strikes up a conversation. "He doesn't look good. His master died in the last battle and the poor beast swallowed Darkspawn blood. I can't even muzzle him to treat him.". He holds the muzzle towards me. "Can you try?". And get bit? No. I'm about to say just that when the dog whimpers and I look at him.

His soft, liquid eyes show an intelligence most humans don't even possess. He's in pain and he needs to be treated. I nod and take the muzzle from the kennel master. He opens the door and allows me into the pin with the Mabari. The dog shies away from me, but doesn't bite or growl. _I'll need to be careful and not upset him. Poor thing's in enough pain already without being scared_. I slowly walk over to him, kneel down, and gently whisper 'it'll be alright' as I put the muzzle around his head. The Mabari cautiously stands and looks at me. His gentle eyes speak volumes and I decide to try to offer him some comfort before I leave. I run my fingers through his filthy, black-stained fur and whisper to him.

"You're being poisoned by Darkspawn blood. I'll have the blight soon enough. Not the same, but close enough. We've one of a kind you and I.". He whimpers and leans into my touch. I pat the dog one more time before leaving. Thankfully, the Mabari lies down and closes his eyes in an attempt to get some sleep. The kennel master nods and tells me one last thing. "If you find a flower that's white with red dots and bring it back to me, then I can imprint him on you after the next battle when he's cured.". I shrug and try not to show my emotions, but on the inside I'm absolutely thrilled. _My own Mabari! A loyal battle partner who's as smart as a two-year old child and as strong as an ox!_

I rush off to find Alistair. The sooner I find him, then the sooner this day will go by and I'll have my own Mabari! I find Alistair bickering with some mage over something. He's wearing leather armor, has a wooden shield, and a metal sword at his hip. Besides that, he looks just like what Duncan described. Although Duncan didn't warn me about the argument. I honestly don't listen that much, but make my way to Alistair once the fighting seems over. The man in question smiles to see me and offers a sarcastic comment on the fight. "The thing I love most about the blight is how it brings people together!". Well, I can't be mean to him but Duncan didn't way I can't be off-putting to him.

"You're a strange human.". He laughs a little and his smile doesn't fade. "I get that a lot.". He snaps his fingers together and turns the conversation a different way. "You're the new recruit! The one Duncan found! I should have recognized you right away. I apologize.". I shrug and Alistair keeps talking. "Well, I'll be the one taking you into the Korcari Wilds. Duncan will explain more once we and the other recruits are all gathered together. By the way, I'm Alistair.". I decide to move this bit along. "I'm eager to get going.". Alistair smiles and offers one last sentence. "Nice to meet you Eager To Get Going!". I walk away.

* * *

I stop at the entrance to the wilds and look behind me. Alistair and two new human recruits (who's names I didn't care to learn) are behind me. One of the new recruits is bald and the other looks like a rat that learned how to walk. Those are all the details I want to know about them. Anyway, that's not important right now. Duncan has assigned us with going deep into the wilds to find three vials of Darkspawn blood (we can actually get those from Darkspawn we kill along the way) and retrieving ancient treaties that are at an old abandoned outpost in the wilds. The treaties allow Grey Wardens to call other groups to their cause if the need should arise.

So, it's extremely important we get those treaties for the Blight and the blood for the ritual we'll go through to become Grey Wardens. I'm still not sure how I feel about becoming a Grey Warden, but I _do_ know I want to kill things and make Duncan proud. If the killing is fulfilled by Darkspawns and I can make Duncan proud by getting the treaties, then I'll do it. Also, the flower I need to cure the dog is in the wilds. Overall, death, pride, and a vicious Mabari are all the incentive I need to do this. I don't hesitate as I reach the gate and push through; my idiot companions following after me. I can only pray to the Maker that they _try_ not to get themselves killed.


	3. Tainted Blood

The Korcari Wilds are easily one of the worst places I've ever been. The marshy ground collapses beneath my feet while the thick forest around us is hard to navigate. The only mercy of this place is there are somewhat beaten trails that twist and turn through the woods. I instantly draw my tremendous sword and begin walking. My boots _suck_ out of the mud with each step and my entire body is beginning to shake because of the frigid temperature. I scan the dark foliage as I lead my group through the wilds; I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a white flower with red dots. Thankfully, as we near a busted stone archway I find it. It's clinging to a log and drooping downwards in submission.

I pluck the flower, tuck it away, and go through the stone archway. Now there's a lake to our left and a hill to our right. Alistair reaches out and grabs my shoulder. I almost scream at him never to touch me again, then Duncan's words run through my mind and I bite my tongue. I don't need to like Alistair, but I need to be civil. So, I turn my head and throw him a somewhat aggressive/questioning look. The Grey Warden motions up the hill and offers one word as an explanation.

"Darkspawn.". I look up the hill and see a small amount of movement in the trees. I begin slowly walking forward without offering any thanks or explanation to anyone. I'm halfway up the hill when a loud scream goes up and the Darkspawn charge us. Two dwarf-sized Genlocks carrying swords and heavily armored come charging down the hill towards me; an armored Hurlock is shooting at us with a bow from the top of the hill; and a lightly armored and unarmed Ogre begins thundering through the trees in my general direction. Alistair and the new recruits are beside me in a heartbeat and all of us hunker down. When the Genlocks reach us they attempt to flank us. The two newest recruits use their shields to _crack_ the across the heads and stun them. Alistair and the recruit closest to him rain down blows on one of the Genlocks while the other recruit and I attack the remaining one.

My recruit drives his blade into the Darkspawn's shoulder and I swing my sword for his head. My blade sinks in between the monster's helmet and breastplate. His blood begins to flow and a rattling breath shakes his helm. I rip my sword from his armor and his blood spurts from his wound. The recruit rips his own blade out. The Genlock falls to the ground and begins twitching. I spin around to see Alistair ripping his sword out of a Genlock and the other recruit scrabbling with the Hurlock up the hill. Now all we need to kill is the gigantic Ogre tearing through the trees towards us. He's only a few feet from us and is pulling a tree out of his way. Alistair slams himself shoulder to shoulder with me and awkwardly puts his shield in front of both of us.

"I'll distract him. Go behind and hit the back of his knee. Don't stop hitting until you've cut the tendon allowing him to stand.". I nod and the remaining recruit shakily stands behind Alistair and me. I don't hear the orders Alistair gives the recruit because the Ogre finally rips the tree from the ground and tosses it above his head. The tree snaps branches on its way up, lodges itself into the thicker branches higher up, and begins dangling above our head. Then, the Ogre lowers his horned head and charges. I leap out of the way while Alistair takes the brunt of the charge and finds himself on his back.

I can't watch the rest of the fight as I rush behind the beast. The Ogre is wearing makeshift armor, but the back of his knee is completely bare. I do a tremendous swing with my two-handed blade and smile as it sticks in the beast's leg. The Ogre roars and stands up straight, but I use my entire weight to dig the sword in deeper. Finally, I must cut the tendon because the Ogre falls onto one knee and begins swinging his arms like wild. I instantly remove my blade and drive it into the Darkspawn's lower back. The Ogre screams a far too humanly scream before I yank my sword upwards and cut through his guts. I'm admiring my work when a groaning from above causes me to look up.

"OUT OF THE WAY!". Someone slams into my front while they scream their warning and the tree begins to fall, but I'm too heavy or too strong to move. I end up running backwards with whoever attempted to 'save' me has to grab onto my front and run with me. Thankfully, we clear the tree as it comes crashing down upon the still twitching Ogre. Once the battle's over I'm allowed to finally to stop watching the falling tree and look at who tried to push my out of the way.

Alistair offers me a sheepish smile as he pushes himself off of my breastplate. Now I'm not sure how I feel about him. He proved himself in battle, but he's still a little goofy. I suppose trying to save my life (even if he failed) makes up for being an idiot. Besides, he even stutters an apology.

"Sorry, I thought I'd help you. Didn't think you'd be that hard to move.". His face is becoming redder and redder as he tries to laugh the situation off. I'm not going to laugh, but I nod and begin walking over to the smashed Ogre. I think I hear a breath being releases by Alistair as I don't press the issue or embarrass him. I kick the arm of the Ogre that's sticking out. The Darkspawn doesn't move and I decide to loot him. The creature has a few coppers on him, but the main attraction is a vial of Darkspawn blood.

I whistle to Alistair and wave the blood in the air. Alistair whistles back and waves a matching vial in the air. I jog over to the Warden and snatch the blood from him. I place both vials in my bag, then begin stomping through the forest again. Alistair and the recruits follow me through the marsh once again. Now all we need is to find a final vial and the treaties. The vial comes easily enough as we slide down the hill and into a small clearing. Two Hurlocks and a Genlock come streaming out of the woods towards us. I charge with Alistair and the recruits by my side. Alistair and a recruit take a Hurlock, the other recruit takes on the last Hurlock, and I settle for the Genlock.

Mostly because of my plan. My 'plan' is to kick the bastard as hard as I can in the gut. The tiny Darkspawn screams as he takes a small flight in the air and rolls to a stop a few feet away from me. I drop my sword down until I'm gripping the handle of the downward facing blade. I strut over to the monster until my weapon is dangling above his back. Then, I drive it into him as hard as I can. The creature twitches once before going still. Nice! I always love killing something in less than three hits. I hear a battle raging behind me, but I ignore it and loot the Genlock. More coppers and a final vial of blood. I turn around and see Alistair finishing off a Hurlock as his recruits cower. _Cowards_. I keep my sword out and go over to Alistair as he wipes his blade clean.

"Found the last vial.". He smiles at me and motions to a somewhat well-worn path on the opposite side of the clearing.

"Wonderful! Now we can get the treaties and start to ritual!". I nod for a second time and begin walking over to the path. It's dirt and not mud, so now we're able to make a little more progress. However, our journey is stopped by a bleeding man lying in the middle of a slaughtered caravan. I groan and watch the man struggling to try to crawl as he screams for help. Alistair doesn't seem to hear him and the recruits don't either. They show no signs of hearing him or seeing him.

 _That's... That's really weird_. I decide not to say anything about it as I look at the man. I don't want to save him, but I can't kill him without pissing everyone off. Thankfully, nature takes care of it for me. The man falls to the ground and stops screaming for help. I walk through the slaughtered men, cattle, and unidentifiable corpses. Alistair makes a 'tsk' noise and a comment that implies he didn't hear or see the man.

"Sad. Shame they didn't make it to Ostagar.". I decide not to say anything as we keep going. Our path leads underneath a log resting atop tow hills with hanging men dangling from the log. Alistair makes a comment as we pass under them.

"They didn't deserve that.". I once again don't say anything as I keep following the trail. As we walk through the woods I keep expecting to be attack by Darkspawn at every turn, but surprisingly we don't run into anymore until we come across a small stream with a bridge spanning across it. A Hurlock Emissary with a magic staff is guarding the path. Alistair and I charge, but the Darkspawn screams and rushes across the bridge. We follow and that's when the trap is spring. Six Darkspawn (a mix of Hurlocks and Genlocks) come pouring out of the woods around us. Alistair freezes and calls for the recruits, but I keep charging. I stay right on top of the Emissary and when he turns around I'm still there.

I slam my shoulder into his stomach to stun him, then begin swinging. He's heavily armored, so he recovers before he dies. I keep swinging as he begins firing balls of magic off in his attempt to kill me. His spells cause a few dull pains to spring up, but they disappear the second the Emissary falls. I'm not sure what blow killed him, but it must have taken me a while because Alistair and the recruits were able to kill all of the other Darkspawn while I focused on the Emissary. None of us speak or loot the corpses because we have the vials we need. Our lack of interest in the corpses pay off because we arrive at our destination in a few short seconds.

The stone tower is almost completely destroyed, but at least the floor inside is dirt and not mud. I go into the ruins and see multiple piles of rock littering the floor and a small pile of wood in a corner. I begin walking over towards the wood and kneel down beside it. I shift through the chest and come up empty. I stand just as Alistair and the recruits reach me. I'm about to speak when someone interrupts me.

"Who is brave enough to trod across my wilds?". Well, shit. This isn't going to be good. I move past Alistair and the recruits while reaching for my sword. What I see causes my hand to fall to my side and not for my weapon. A beautiful woman is standing stop one of the piles of rubble. Her pale skin is offset by her dark eyes and black hair that's put up in a messy bun. A wooden staff is strapped to her back and her clothes are rags that barely cover her body. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.


	4. A Warden True

The witch nimbly jumps down from the pile of rocks and lands a few feet away from our group. Alistair stiffens and the recruits draw their weapons. _By the Maker, you'd think these men have never seen a beautiful woman before!_ _Drawing your blades and shaking isn't exactly the way to act around a lady!_ I step away from my group and the witch nods her head in approval before stalking closer towards me.

Then, she slowly begins circling tightly around me and isolating me from my companions. At one point her circle is so close to me I can feel her breath on my neck. If she were less pretty or a man I'd start pacing with her and eventually break away and return to my herd. As it is, I allow her to circle me like a wolf circling an injured deer. I can only hope the results end up better. The woman makes another circle around me before speaking.

"You. Women do not cower like men, so I shall ask you one thing. Only intruders and scavengers make their way this deeply into my wilds.". She stops a foot (or possibly less) in front of me and keeps her body turned to the side as she asks a single question.

"What say you, hmm? Scavenger or intruder?". Unlike with Alistair and Duncan I don't need to bite my tongue or remind myself to 'play nice'. This woman's pretty enough and so exotic that I really _do_ want to get to know her and have her stay around. I don't even have a nasty reply to her.

"I am neither. The Grey Wardens once owned this tower.". The wild witch eyes me before giving me the slightest nod of approval. _Well, that worked out rather nicely. Maybe if I keep being civil she'll save me from this group of Druffalo disguised as men_. The witch seems to grow bored of knowing me as a nameless face because her next question has nothing to do with Grey Wardens.

"I see. Now, tell me your name and I shall tell you mine.". I inch a little closer to the witch. She smiles and cocks her head a little without stepping back. I decide I might as well introduce myself.

"I am Tabris. A pleasure to meet you.". A tremendous grin splits her face. Then, she cackles a little (oh, cackling isn't a good sign) before finally introducing herself.

"Oh, such manners! Even out here in the wilds!". She turns her entire body to me and keeps smiling.

"You may call me Morrigan.". One of the recruits interrupts our conversation.

"She's a Witch of the Wilds!". Morrigan offers his what I can only describe as a disgusted look before turning her attention to me again. I decide to restart our conversation where it left off.

"Morrigan. Such a beautiful name for-". I'm interrupted in my attempted flirting by Alistair grabbing my shoulder and forcing his way into our talk. Okay, back to hating him.

"We need the Grey Warden treaties. Can you give them to us?". Morrigan sneers and Alistair attempts to talk her into it.

"Please, by the Maker we need those treaties!". Morrigan spits on the ground near Alistair's feet and begins stalking away towards her pile of rocks. The woman hops back onto the crumbling pile and pivots around to look down at Alistair and me.

"I will not, for 'twas not I who removed them. Invoke a name that means nothing here any longer if you wish; I am not threatened.". I stick an arm out and place it on the Grey Warden's chest. He (thankfully) doesn't speak anymore to Morrigan. I walk over to the pile of rubble. Morrigan kneels down, so now we're having a somewhat private conversation. The woman doesn't give me another nod in approval, but doesn't spit or sneer. I take that as a good sign as I lean against the rocks and talk to her.

"I apologize for him. If you didn't take them, then who did?". Morrigan leans in until her lips are brushing my ear. Instantly, I tense up and allow the sensation of the witch being this close to wash over me. The smell of burnt ozone fills my nose and I can feel heat radiating off of her. Then, she whispers two very, very confusing words in my ear.

"My mother.". Morrigan leans back and stands up. I look up at the woman and feel something in my stomach tighten. _I would have paid for that moment to last just a second longer_. I decide to try for another one.

"Can you take us to her?". Alistair interrupts our conversation another time.

"We should get those treaties, but I dislike this... Morrigan's sudden appearance. It's too convenient.". Morrigan sweetly smiles and mocks him.

"Are you afraid that barbarians will swoop down upon you?". Alistair nods.

"Swooping. Is. Bad.". Morrigan rolls her eyes and it's clear their sarcastic banner is over and we're back on track. And, now that's we're back on track one of the recruits decides to voice his idiotic opinion.

"She's going to turn us into frogs and put us in the pot! Haven't any of you heard any of the stories?". _I wouldn't mind if she ate me_. The other recruit smacks his fellow and snarls what I think is an agreement.

"The pot's gotta be warmer than out here!". Alistair looks at me and shrugs.

"It's your call.". I scoot a little closer to the rock pile until I'm basically smashed up against it.

"So, you want to take me home to your mother?". Morrigan nods down at me. I smile at her before saying something that causes Alistair to let out a chocked laugh.

"Usually, I wait a little longer before letting the girl take me home. Especially if a mother's involved.". Morrigan laughs before hopping off the rock, grabbing my hand, and starting our walk through the woods. Well, this _did_ work out well.

* * *

When we arrive at the busted, ancient shack I hear Alistair take in a small breath. I can't say I blame him. The woman awaiting us looks ancient and is wearing peasant's clothes, but her piercing eyes are what catch me off guard. Morrigan doesn't even flinch under her mother's gaze. Instead, Morrigan walks over to her mother and stands beside her before speaking. The recruits, Alistair, and I are forced to stand before them as they talk.

"Greetings, mother. I bring before you three Grey Wardens who-". The older woman raises her hand to silence her daughter.

"I see them, girl. Hmm. Much as I expected.". Alistair scoffs.

"Are we suppose to believe you were expecting us?". The old woman turns her burning gaze from me and onto Alistair.

"You are required to do nothing, least of all believe. Shut one's eyes tight or open one's arms wide, either way... one's a fool.". One of the recruits whispers to the other one.

"She's a witch, I tell you! We shouldn't be talking to her!". The other recruit is somewhat smarter.

"Quiet! If she's a witch, then do you want to make her mad?". The mother turns her gaze to the recruits and smiles. I (smartly) stay quiet. Something about all of this gives me the creeps. Magic usually does, though. I remain silent while the older woman speaks.

"There's a smart lad.". She cocks her head to the side before continuing.

"Sadly irrelevant to the larger scheme of things, but it is not I who decides. Believe what you will.". Now, she turns her eyes to me and I feel my chest clench.

"And what of you? Does your elven mind give you a different viewpoint? Or do you believe as these humans do?". I think it's weird she's saying 'humans' like she isn't one of them, but I don't call her on it. Instead, I tell her the honest truth.

"I don't know what to believe.". I see Morrigan nod and the old woman smiles before talking.

"A statement that possesses more wisdom than it implies. Be always aware... or is it oblivious? I can never remember.". The woman takes a few steps forward and I'm caught in her grey eyes. Then, her freezing hands clutch my face.

"So much about you is uncertain... and yet I believe. Do I? Why, it seems I do!". She releases me and steps back. Thankfully, Alistair decides to make his stupid comment to me.

"So, this is the dreaded Witch of the Wilds?". The old woman answers him.

"Witch of the Wildes, eh? Morrigan must have told you that. She fancies such tales, though she would never admit it! Oh, how she dances under the moon!". She throws her head back and cackles while Morrigan looks at the ground. Then, the younger of the two snarls a reply.

"They did not come to listen to your wild tales, mother!". I originally came here because Morrigan was pretty and interesting, but now I just want to leave. I don't like getting involved with magic and this entire thing is creeping me out. I can only thank a Maker I don't believe in when the mother turns and begins walking towards a chest by the shack.

"True, they came for their treaties, yes? And before you begin barking, your precious seal wore off long ago. I have protected these.". She turns and hands the treaties to me. I nod to her and am about to thank her, but Alistair ruins it.

"You... oh. You protected them?". The mother nods.

"And why not? Take them to your Grey Wardens and tell them this Blight's threat is than they realize!". That... that sounds really ominous and I don't like it. I just came here for pretty girl and one pretty girl isn't worth all this. I decide to wrap things up.

"Thank you.". The woman laughs before saying something weird.

"Oh, don't mind me. You have what you came for!". Morrigan nods and steps forward.

"Time for you to go, then.". _I couldn't agree more_. Apparently, her mother could though.

"Don't be ridiculous, girl. These are your guests.". Morrigan sighs before talking to my group.

"Oh, very well. I will show you out of the woods. Follow me.". She pushes through us and begins stalking out of the woods. We have no choice besides 'follow'.

* * *

I hand the flower to the Kennel Master and he smiles at me before walking into the Mabari's pen. I watch him mix the plant into an ointment and smear it onto the dog. The Mabari lets out a deep sigh before flopping down and closing his eyes. The poor dog is already snoring before the Kennel Master is out of his pen. Once the man's out he claps his hands together and looks at me.

"Well, congratulations! I'll imprint him on you once tonight's fight is over.". I look up at the dark sky and nod, then walk away without another word. Alistair is waiting for me a few feet away and begins leading me to the place where I'll become an official Grey Warden. I don't know what the ritual requires, how long it'll take, or if it'll hurt. We've already given the treaties and blood to Duncan, so by now the ritual should be prepared and ready to start.

The other recruits and I will undertake our joining while Duncan and Alistair watch. Alistair assured me the entire thing will be waiting for us when we arrive. The only thing missing is me. All I can do is pray to a being I don't even think is real. _Maker help me_. The area I'm brought to is a small circular stone with pillars surrounding it and a few blocks of rock here and there. When we finally arrive the two recruits are there, but no sign of Duncan. I shoot Alistair a glare. He sheepishly smiles.

"Okay, I was wrong.". My companion goes and sits on one of the stones. The two recruits are standing up and one begins to talk.

"The more I hear about this Joining, the less I like it.". The other recruit (the one who looks like a rat) glares at his fellow and argues.

"Are you blubbering again?". The first recruit feels the need to defend himself.

"Why all these damned tests? Have I not earned my place?". _No, you haven't. Alistair and I did most of the fighting and you nearly pissed yourself when Morrigan showed up_. The second recruit seems to agree with me because he defends the ritual we have to go through.

"Maybe it's tradition. Maybe they're just trying to annoy you.". I decide to shut the first recruit up. I hate both shem, but the first one is extra annoying.

"Am I the only one with a spine around here? Is an elven woman braver than the shemlen men she's surrounded by?". The first recruit raises his hands at me and tries to explain his actions.

"I only know that my wife is in Highever with a child on the way. If they had warned me-". He looks at his feet, takes in a deep breath, and releases while shaking his head/dropping his hands.

"It just doesn't seem fair.". _They put us through this to weed out the weaker recruits like you_. I prepare to say something to him, but the other recruit speaks first and keeps the argument going.

"Would you have come if they'd warned you? Maybe that's why they don't. The Wardens do what they must, right?". The other recruit looks upset.

"Including sacrificing us?". The second recruit puffs himself up.

"I'd sacrifice a lot more if I knew it'd end the Blight.". I decide to put an end to this one and for all.

"Both of you need to shut up!". The rat recruit uses my anger to attack his fellow.

"Yeah, Sir Knight. Don't go wetting your trousers before the ritual's even started!". The other recruit says the closing sentence of the argument.

"I've just never faced a foe I could not engage with my blade.". That's when Duncan arrives and walks in the middle of the gathered group.

"At last, we come to The Joining.". He looks around at everyone with a somber expression on his face. Then, he walks over to a stone with a goblet sitting on it. As he walks he talks.

"The Grey Wardens were founded during the First Blight. When humanity stood on the verge of annihilation. So it was that the first Grey Wardens drank of Darkspawn blood, and mastered their taint.". The first recruit begins to shake.

"We're going to drink the blood of those, those, creatures?". I can't say the idea appeals to me, but I'm not opposed to it. I want to gain power and the Grey Wardens seem to have it. Besides, I owe Duncan for helping me escape Denerim. And, my mother would have tried. I'll at least try. Duncan nods and steps forward, the goblet in his hands.

"As the first Grey Wardens did before us, as we did before you. _This_ is the source of our power. And our victory.". The recruits are on either side of me in a line and Duncan is in front of us. Alistair comes up behind me and speaks.

"Those who survive The Joining become immune to the Taint. We can sense it in the Darkspawn and use it to slay the Archdemon.". I make a small comment when silence begins to stretch on.

"Powerful.". Duncan nods and continues his talk.

"We speak only a few words prior to The Joining, but these words have been said since the first. Alistair, if you would.". I feel something stirring inside me. _I'm going to be a part of something bigger than myself! I'm going to be a hero like Soris and I dreamed of when we were children! Not a special hero destined for greatness, but still a hero! I'll save lives and people will look up at me and my ears won't matter anymore! I mean, they'll matter to me, but they won't get me beaten or almost killed!_

A fire is moving inside my gut at the idea of getting to be a Grey Warden. A legend reborn in a modern era. I haven't been dreaming of being a Warden, but I've been longing for greatness. For the ability to be admired and feared and do/kill whatever I want. A hunger that every elf feels deep in their soul and can never feed because of our pointed ears. Now I'm getting the chance. I'll be able to do great things and be considered a hero by everyone. The fire only spreads as Alistair begins the sacred words.

"Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that can not be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you.". Now I'm shaking and my knees ache with a longing to move around. The fire is a raging inferno that only becoming a Warden can quench. Duncan steps forward and holds the goblet out to the rat recruit.

"Daveth, step forward.". The man takes the goblet and brings it to his mouth. The liquid is barely past his lips when he screams. Duncan grabs the goblet as Daveth drops it and falls to the ground. I watch as the recruit is on all fours and begins clawing at his throat. Terrifying screams echo around us as Daveth's eyes roll into the back of his skull. The other recruit begins backing away.

"MAKER'S BREATH!". Duncan turns from Daveth and says four simple words as the dying recruit goes silent.

"I am sorry, Daveth.". Well, that's... unexpected. The fire inside me is cooled, but not gone. Some deep, inner part of me still longs to be a Warden. Or at least die as one. Duncan turns to my fellow surviving recruit.

"Step forward, Jory.". The man is backing away and presses himself against a stone pillar. Then, he reaches for his sword. Jory starts panting and trying to talk to Duncan.

"But I have a wife! A child! Had I known-". Duncan begins walking towards him, the goblet still in his hands.

"There is no turning back.". Jory holds his sword in front of him. "No, you ask too much! There is no glory in this!". Duncan sighs and pulls his own blade from his side. Both swing at each other and _crack_ their swords together. Then, Duncan leaps forward and drives his blade into Jory's stomach. Both are splattered with blood as Duncan walks backwards and allows Jory to fall off of his blade.

"I am sorry.". Jory falls to the ground and Duncan turns to me.

"But The Joining is not yet complete.". He hands the goblet to me and I feel the weight in my hands. I look down into the gleaming blood and see my own reflection. She looks like she's about to piss herself. _You probably are_.

"You are called upon to submit yourself to The Taint. For the greater good.". I think of Soris, Shianni, my mother, my father, and everyone else in the Alienage as I raise the cup to my lips. Then, I drink. The foul, bitter liquid goes down my throat as Duncan takes the goblet and backs away.

"From this moment on, you are a Grey Warden.". Then, everything goes white. That's when the demon appears.


	5. Halam'shivanas

The twisted, tainted dragon I see before me is standing atop a pile of bones with a backdrop of fire behind him. The beast's jaw falls open and reveals hundreds of thousands of gigantic fangs the size of broadswords. Inside, a gaping maw is rolling and turning. A thunderous roar echoes in my ears and seems to shake the entire world. I cower away from the dragon as he lifts his wings and screams to the sky. His scales are thick, his size is too big to comprehend, and his claws are the size of carthorses. Very, very large and sharp carthorses. The dragon stops screaming and his muscles seem to tense. I barely manage to take a step backward when his head flips down and his neck turns.

The monster's white, soulless eyes meet mine. Something dark and evil causes a coldness to rush up and down my spine. This isn't a dream. I'm not wherever the dragon is, but he's _definitely_ somewhere near me and I'm _definitely_ seeing him. I see a slimy chunk of corruption slide off of the dragon's scale and land beside my foot. _He's tainted. He has the Darkspawn's blight_. The creature's white eyes roll over me. In that moment I'm frozen as my spine begins tingling. He's the Archdemon. This gigantic monster is the leader of the Blight plaguing this land. And he's currently looking me dead in the eye. I'm still frozen when the world breaks.

* * *

My ears are ringing and my vision is blurry when I wake up. I see Duncan and Alistair swing into and out of my vision. Finally, they snap into place as Duncan speaks.

"It is done. You are a Grey Warden.". I stand and expect to feel pride and honor, but instead I'm greeted by another feeling. Like I'm wearing my clothes wrong. Only 'clothes' is a bad word. It's like I'm wearing my skin wrong. Almost as if my bones and muscles and fat and whatever else makes me _me_ isn't sitting right. Just a little bit wonky and enough to notice. I pop my neck and roll my shoulders. The sense of wrongness in myself seeps into my very core. Alistair hands me a necklace and I'm briefly distracted from the fact it feels like I'm walking in someone else's body.

"After the Joining, we make a necklace with a bit of the blood. To remember those who didn't make it.". I look at the two dead recruits and place the amulet around my neck. I hated all of them, but the necklace looks good on me. Plus, it has Darkspawn blood in it and that's kind of hardcore. Alistair and Duncan blabber on about meeting them and the king to discuss how everything's going to be going, but I ignore both of them. In fact, the second they're gone I go to find my tent. My soft bedroll awaits me as I snuggle down and close my eyes. A tiny bit of a nap isn't going to kill anyone.

* * *

I'm awoken by Alistair shaking me and screaming something at me. The human yanks me up and begins running with me, but it's not until we're halfway across the bridge that I manage to finally 'wake up' enough to talk.

"What happened?". A tremendous chunk of the bridge explodes in front of us in a fiery ball, so we're forced to briefly stop. Alistair explains things to me as the bridge settles.

"We couldn't find you! Duncan gave me the plan and told me to get you, but I didn't find you until a few seconds ago!". I nod and look over the side of the bridge. A tremendous battle is raging below. Darkspawn and Warden forces are meeting and swirling together in a sea of rage and hate. I stop looking at the mini war being waged and instead start heading across the bridge. Alistair follows behind me. I only have two questions for the man.

"Why didn't you start with my tent, and what are we doing?". As we jog across the bridge Alistair points to a tower in the distance with a small woods separating us.

"We need to light the torch up there and signal Loghain Mac Tir to send in the reinforcements. And, I didn't look there because...". He looks at the ground and mumbles while we finally reach the other side of the bridge. We're barely off when two people come rushing towards us. A mage and a warrior are both battered and bathed in blood.

"Help us, they're everywhere!". _Oh, that doesn't sound good in the slightest._ When Alistair and I get to him, the warrior steps forward and explains the situation.

"Darkspawn have taken over the entire tower! Nobody can get to the top to light the fire!". _Well, sounds like a problem I need to go fix before these humans make it any worse_. I pound off into the woods towards the tower and hear my companion scream after me. I scoff and ignore him until I reach a cleared path to the tower. A few wooden structures are in my path and lead up to stairs that'll take me to where I need to go. Currently, those structures are swarming with Darkspawn and tower guards trying to drive them off.

I take out my broadsword and hear my group arrive. Suddenly, my blade bursts into flames. I flip around to see a mage dropping his hands as my blade burns on. _Nice_! I swing my flaming sword around a tiny amount. Once I'm assured it won't burst apart, I charge forward into the mass of Darkspawn and begin hacking. Hurlock, Genlock, Alpha, it doesn't matter! If it comes within striking distance of my blade, then I swing at it until it falls to the ground and stops twitching. Each Darkspawn tries to throw itself against me in some desperate attempt to save its own life. My blazing sword shows them how weak they truly are.

I'm bathed in blood and my world shrinks as my rage lights up my insides. Alistair is right beside me with his own flaming blade and sturdy shield. I ram into his side more times than I can count, but the man refuses to leave my side. He even covers me with his shield from an incoming arrow that would have left one fine scar. I still don't like the man; I'll only admit that he's a fine person to have my back in a fight. Especially because my fighting is swinging my sword around and throwing myself at the enemy. When the Darkspawn are gone I charge up the stairs and reach the base of the tower. I check on my group and make sure they aren't all dead before barreling through the door.

The circular room we're in is surrounded by pillars and a small barricade of boxes is in front of us. The boxes force us to walk a few feet right before entering the entire circular area. Alistair charges ahead, but I dig my heels in and stay. _I don't trust this_. My caution proves smart. Alistair triggers a trap as a fireball streams across the room. Oil splatters my companion and a violent explosion causes him to be blow flat onto his back. Fire rages up and down his armor. I leap over the human and charge into the room. A Genlock Emissary is running away as three Hurlock archers take aim at me and begin raining down arrows.

The projectiles _click_ off of my armor and fall to the ground uselessly. I silently charge the closest Hurlock and sink my weapon deep into him. The monster's tainted blood splatters across my face as he catches fire with a final scream. I rip my sword from his body and turn to see the other two Hurlocks taken care of by my group. The mage is a little ruffled and Alistair is still smoking, but nothing too severe that we need to stop. I see a hallway and quickly jog through it. My group rushes through a few abandoned rooms before being halted by four Genlocks. The little Darkspawn are guarding the stairs to the second floor. All of them scream when they see us and rip their swords from their sides.

I kick one in the gut and bring my sword down on his head. A mage implodes one, Alistair stabs one through the chest, and the tower guard kicks his hard enough to kill it. My battle rage is cooling, but not completely gone. I just need to move fast before I'm calmed and struggling to fight. The next floor is made up of one long hallway with Genlocks and Hurlocks crawling all over it. Alistair starts talking about a plan, but I charge forward and begin using every single move my mother ever taught me. Monster Swings, Sundering Armor, Pommel Strike, and everything I've ever practiced more than once.

I'm in the middle of decapitating a Hurlock when a sharp, stinging pain causes me to flinch and look down at my side. Thankfully, the enemies are cleared out enough that I can spare a few seconds. A Genlock's dagger is sunk up to the hilt in between two of my ribs. I feel my blade fall from numbed fingers as I slowly reach down and grasp the dagger's hilt. My blood spurts out of me and begins forming a shallow, black puddle on the floor of the tower. The Darkspawn's blade gleams and drips with the reeking liquid. I raise the weapon to my face and squint. What I see almost causes me to laugh at the irony.

The Genlock must have stolen the dagger from an elf's body. The blade is elvish make and has a few Dalish words scratched on the handle. I feel myself becoming lightheaded and my legs are shaking. I squint harder and whisper the elvish words to myself. My accent is horrible, but I know enough ancient elvish from my mother to say the words.

" _Ar lasa mala revas_.". _I give you your freedom_. My laughter echoes off the walls of the tower. _Was this a mercy blade? Did someone use this to slit the throats of the wounded after battles? Maybe that's how the Genlock got it. He could have pretended to be dead, then attacked the Dalish who came to give him a merciful death_. I feel my face pressed against something cold as someone screams my name.

* * *

The tower swings around me as Alistair is pulling and shoving me forward. Something wet is pressed up against my side. I turn my hazy vision towards the man. He's soaked in blood and seems to realize I'm awake. Alistair yanks me up in one swift motion, so now he's carrying me like a bride. I don't argue. Alistair's eyes light up as he looks down at me and tries to talk (while continuing to walk). I smash a bloody hand against his cheek. _He's trying to save me. I've been terrible to him, and he's trying to save me_. Hot liquid spills down my side. _He won't succeed._ Alistair leans in as we walk and looks at me with eyes fit for a puppy. _I don't need to tell him as much_.

" _Ir abelas_.". I whisper the same words my mother told me as I cradled her dying body close to me in some filthy back alleyway of Denerim. It's only fitting. Alistair looks like he wishes to speak again.

" _Ma melava halani_.". My arm loses all of its feeling and slides down his neck onto his chest.

" _Mala suledin nadas_.". Alistair's face grows grim even though he doesn't understand me and he starts talking.

"It was my fault. A Genlock Alpha aimed for me and I turned the blade right into you without thinking. You're one of the best damned warriors I've seen and now you're wounded because of someone else forcing you to take an attack meant for them.". _Now I'm dying because someone else forced me to take an attack meant for them_. I can't summon the will to be angry. My fire is gone. Let me Alistair go on thinking I died liking him. My hand dangles beside me and my vision is swinging. I summon enough strength in my numb body to whisper what I'm sure will be my dying words.

" _Ma ghilana mir din'an_.". I take a deep breath and pant out the human translation for Alistair.

" _Guide me into death_.". We were going up some stairs, but Alistair freezes and stares straight ahead. He knows what I'm asking. This wound will drag my death on for another few minutes. I want to die now. I want to die with strength in my body and a working mind. Like a warrior. I fear the nothingness death brings, but I'd welcome it if I could stop the hurt in my numb side. Alistair keeps moving. _Coward. You're the reason I'm dead_.

"Don't worry, we're here. I can take you to the healers once the signal is-". Alistair walks through the door to the top of the tower and instantly places me on the ground. I roll my head to the side and see why. An Ogre is feasting on the flesh of the tower guards. The Darkspawn screams and charges. Thankfully, I'm out before it reaches me.

* * *

 **Translations for the Elvish.**

 **Halam'shivanas: The sweet sacrifice of duty.**

 **Ir abelas: I am sorry.**

 **Ma melava halani: You helped me.**

 **Mala suledin nadas: Now you must endure.**

 **Ma ghilana mir din'an: Guide me into death.**

* * *

 **Note: I'd like to apologize for the wait. My house was getting carpet ripped up and I had to take care of that for a few days.**


	6. Korcari Wilds

A rough, wet scraping feeling runs up the length of the left side of my face. I groan and feel the hard floor beneath my back. Slowly, the feeling in my body comes back. Aching muscles, a sore shoulder, and a sharp, throbbing pain in my side. The rough scraping comes back, but this time it's harder than before. I groan and lift my ponderous right arm up to shoo whatever's touching me away. My arm is barely up when a sharp, tiny bite sinks into my cheek. My eyes flip open at a sedated pace. My vision is obscured by something that probably means I've died. A tiny grey dog is sitting beside me. Her wet nose is shoved near my face while she pants warm air into my eyes.

 _I'm definitely dead_. The dog barks and hops onto my chest when she sees I'm awake. The hound sniffs my face before licking my cheek again. Finally, I lift my armored arm up enough to pet her. I scratch the creature behind the ear, but stop when she growls and shows me her fangs. _Little bitch_. I'm about to toss the dog off of me when she sinks her fangs into the mail on my arm, then starts tugging. I put my other shaky arm under me and push myself up. The tower is burning. I look around. The Ogre is stepping on the corpse of the tower's guard with Alistair dangling from his hand. And, to the side of them is the fire we're suppose to light to signal Loghain.

The tugging on my wrist stops and I look down. The dog is gone. _I had to have been going insane_. I try to push myself up, but the most I can do is flip myself onto my hands and knees. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and focus. There's still a growing pool of blood below me. I look down and see my side's still bleeding, just not nearly as bad as it was. A few strands of skin are stretched across the wound, and desperately closing the cut enough that my insides aren't revealed to the naked eye. I turn away from my wound and focus on the pile of sticks that are currently laying in the stone chimney. I need to light those, or else the entire army dies. I put one slick hand in front of me, move my opposite knee forward, and repeat the process with my unmoved opposite limbs.

The slick floor below me makes it a challenge, but I just keep my eyes focused on the twigs. My sense of sound comes back enough to hear a tortured, agonizing scream coming from the Ogre battle. I don't dare look. _If Alistair's dead, then I'll constantly owe a dead man my life_. A _crunch_ from the battle beside me. _Or more like than not we'll all be dead before morning_. I watch the twigs crawl closer and closer. A single torch is resting against the chimney. _If I can just make it a few more feet_. The screaming's stopped. I finally reach the fire. I grab the branch and thrust it into the twigs as a gigantic, meaty fist wraps around me.

* * *

When I come to I'm surrounded in a deep, comfortable warmth with my eyes closed. I squeeze my eyes tighter while feeling around. Soft, bearskin blankets and a fluffy bed beneath me. I smirk and curl up on myself. _Okay, now I'm dead_. I don't believe in a Maker, but I'm not going to argue with whatever divine being stuck me here. _Maybe it was an elven god. That makes sense because they'd be proud of me for killing shem_. A feminine hand runs up and down my back, caresses my spine. I groan and lean into the touch. _I'm definitely dead_. The hand runs itself over my closed wound and lightly tickles my ribs.

 _I don't think I mind being dead all that much. Let those living deal with the blight, I get this_. Suddenly, the hand runs itself up to my neck and feels my pulse. _Odd, but if it leads to some 'fun' I suppose it's okay_. The hand removes itself and the blankets are ripped off. Freezing air rushes to meet me as I flail and snap my eyes open. I'm in a bare, dirty cabin with a woman towering over me. _Either I'm alive, or my eternal damnation begins now_. The figure leans forward a little into the light and I have a better look at her face. Morrigan. I instantly relax and look down at myself. Naked. I feel my face grow hot as I attempt to yank the blanket from Morrigan's hands. The witch tosses it to the side and claps her hands together.

I cringe at the clap, but manage to fight back the urge to cover myself. Obviously, I'm naked for a reason. Morrigan slides down so she's sitting beside me. _I just hope I'm not naked for a certain reason_. Morrigan's beautiful, but her mother's a fabled monster who spirits little children away in the middle of the night to eat them. That's not the kind of person you want to get worked up, and going to bed with her daughter might just make her more than a little angry. Thankfully, (or somewhat not so thankfully) Morrigan doesn't seem to have any intention of having sex with me.

She even looks me dead in the eyes and doesn't scoot closer while she talks to me.

"I see your wounds are recovering nicely. How do you feel?". I roll my shoulders a little and tell her the truth.

"A little sore, but nothing too bad. What happened?". Morrigan eyes me and takes a deep breath. I'm about to ask again when she finally tells me.

"Loghain Mac Tir abandoned the battlefield when your signal was lit. The king was killed and most of the Grey Wardens were slaughtered. My mother and I were able to save you and your friend, but no more.". I go silent and touch the side of my body. My wound is closed, but a large ridge of flesh sticks out as a scar. _I'm one of the last two wardens in Ferelden. Loghain abandoned us and allowed our order to almost die._

I swear then and there that Loghain Mac Tir shall die by my hand. He's a coward to run from battle and a human to top it off. I'll see his head roll. My anger is burning like a tiny ember, but that doesn't stop the tsunami of sadness. My stomach rolls and my throat tightens. Duncan's dead, the army is destroyed, and the horde will march across the land. The Darkspawn will reach Denerim and kill Shianni, Soris, and my father. Everyone and everything I've ever held dear is going to die or has already done so. I clutch the scar on my side, close my eyes, and take a deep breath.

 _I'll survive. I'm a strong elf who can kill anything I want to. The horde doesn't matter. I can't stop that. I can find Loghain Mac Tir. I WILL find Loghain Mac Tir. I'll find him and kill him. Then, I'll return home or live with the Dalish. If I'm lucky they'll survive the Blight. If the horde reaches me, I'll kill every Darkspawn I can before being put down_. I open my eyes and say a small 'thank you' to Morrigan. I should at least make sure she knows I'm thankful she saved my life.

"Thank you for healing my wounds.". I look over to see Morrigan looking at her feet with a stern look. Then, she looks up at me and tries to write it off.

"I- mother did most of the work. She should be the one to thank.". I idly nod and decide to go find Alistair. He'll probably help me go find Loghain and kill him. I begin to stand and say my farewell to Morrigan.

"I still appreciate your help. Thank you. Now, I need to go get Alistair and see what we're doing.". I'm walking towards the door (honestly not minding the nakedness, just desperate to get out of there) when Morrigan makes a 'hmm' noise. Then, she says something that stops me in my tracks.

"I suppose you can do that. I should have known you'd be domesticated for humans though.". I tighten my grip on my rough scar and begin to shake. _I am not domesticated! I'm a free elf who doesn't listen to any shem alive!_ I flip around and feel my shaking instantly stop. Morrigan's chilly gaze is trapping me. I can't even retaliate before she begins talking again.

"I saw you after you left the wilds. You were cowed even before then, but it got worse when you returned to Ostagar.". I look at my feet, but surprisingly don't feel myself grow angry at Morrigan. I know what she's saying is true. I slaughtered humans in the alienage like they were pigs, but in Ostagar I was too afraid or cautious to tell the shem what I thought of them. I feel a soft hand on my face as Morrigan lifts my head to meet her icy gaze.

"You don't need to hide it anymore. Your mentor is dead and the wardens are gone. You can be yourself.". I close my eyes and whisper a single question.

"Should I?". Morrigan slams my armor/weapons onto me (not questioning how she has those), turns me towards the door, and walks me towards it while telling me her answer.

"Yes. Show everyone the elf you truly are. You were meant to be the main hero at Ostagar. The one to light the fire and kill the Ogre. Alistair stole that from you by allowing you to take the dagger meant for him.". Was I meant to be the hero? It doesn't feel like it, but Morrigan thinks so. Who am I to question a witch? _I was suppose to be the hero to slay the beast and light the fire. Alistair cheated me out of it._

As Morrigan pushes me outside I try to steel myself. _I need to return to who I am. I need to be the elf my mother taught me to be. Humans deserve the pain and misery I bring them. I will be the elf I want to be. Damn the consequences_. Alistair and Flemeth are waiting for me outside. I walk over to the two. Alistair turns towards me and is the first to speak.

"You're alive! I-". I glare and snarl like a wild animal at him. Alistair cringes and looks at me with an almost hurt expression. _He deserves it. I am who I am. I'm not going to change_. I turn towards Flemeth and the woman speaks.

"So, you've returned. Tell me, what do you plan to do with your second chance at life?". I could tell them my real plan, but I decide to omit some of the details. I don't want to give Alistair enough details to follow me when I ultimately leave him. I hadn't planned on dumping him so soon, but that was when I was a Grey Warden. Morrigain was right, I need to be the woman I was and not the elven pet Duncan made me out to be. My chest aches at the thought of Duncan, but I ignore it and get on with my story.

"I plan to leave the wilds before the Darkspawn are surrounding us.". Alistair nods and seems to agree with me.

"We need to leave, but what then? We need to find a way to stop the Blight. Any ideas on that?". I'm about to snarl at Alistair to 'go away because you're on our own'. Then, I turn and see Flemeth's burning gaze. The woman pulls some scrolls from her robes and holds them out to me. _I need to do what she says, or else I might piss her off. Besides, she might have a good idea_. I take the scrolls and look at them. They're the treaties I recovered earlier. I look into Flemeth's burning eyes and listen to what she wants me to do.

"Take these treaties. Go and build the army the Wardens need. Slay the Archdemon, or else your entire family will die when they march upon Denerim.". I mindlessly nod and secretly plan to dump these treaties and run away as soon as I can. Flemeth says one final thing that might ruin my plan.

"You'll be taking my daughter with you.". Morrigan apparently appeared at my side while we were talking, but now I notice her as she talks.

"What?!". I turn and eye the beautiful woman. _If she goes with me, then she'll be away from her mother_.

"I think that's a fine idea.". Morrigan begins to argue, but a glare from Flemeth silences her. Instead, Morrigan turns to me.

"Would you like me to help you, or simply be your silent guide?". I want to make a good impression on her, so I remain nice.

"I'd prefer you speak your mind.". Morrigan glares at Flemeth as the older woman laughs. Then, the younger woman huffs and points northward.

"I'd suggest we head to Lothering to regroup and get supplies.". I smile and nod at Morrigan, glare when Alistair tries to speak, and give my thanks to Flemeth. And just like that we're off. My gut is turning, but my mind is sharp. I'm not running away from this. Yet.


	7. Lay Sisters

We're halfway to Lothering when a loud series of barks reaches my ears. I freeze on the road and see a shape moving in the bushes up ahead. Alistair, Morrigan, and I all draw our weapons. I'm preparing myself for a wolf when a gigantic Mabari bursts from the foliage and stops right in front of me. The tan dog is large enough that his head reaches my neck, has a wrinkly face (with a black muzzle), and a stub tail. I smile and begin cooing to the beast. The Mabari's ears perk up and his brown eyes lock on mine. Instantly, I know who he is.

"I think this is the dog I saved at Ostagar!". Nobody can speak as the hound turns around and growls at the path ahead of us.

I turn my attention upwards and see a Hurlock Alpha and three Genlocks blocking our way. The leader begins drawing his weapon and screams. The Mabari howls and charges forward. _He's going to get himself killed!_ I rush forward and attack with the dog. I sink my sword into a Genlock as the Mabari slams into the Hurlock's legs and knocks him to the ground. I decapitate another Genlock as the dog sinks his fangs into the Hurlock's neck. _He's actually not a bad fighter_. I start to head towards the other Genlock, but Alistair and Morrigan finish it off before I can. Everyone (including the dog) regroups in the middle of the path and we all put our weapons away. Now all that's left is to take care of the Mabari.

I dig around in my pack until I find a fatty chunk of deer meat that Morrigan brought along. The dog cocks his head as I kneel down beside him. Carefully, I hold the meat out to him. The hound sniffs the meat, seems to consider it, and knocks it out of my hand as he leaps at me. A gigantic amount of weight crushes my chest and a slobbery, sticky tongue begins attacking my face. Automatically, I begin flailing and kicking. The Mabari seems undaunted and keeps lapping away at my face. I shudder at the wetness and stink of meat that overcomes me. Laughter reaches my ears, but eventually someone takes pity on me and yanks the Mabari away from me.

Morrigan is shaking her head and chuckling as the dog tries to wiggle out of her grip. I leap up and begin clawing the slobber off of my face. Morrigan eventually stops laughing, Alistair calms down, and the dog flops down on the ground while whimpering. Finally, my face is clean and I go back over to the dog. My friend slowly releases him as I kneel beside him. I carefully reach out and begin playing with the dog's pointed ears. The Mabari smiles and licks my hand.

"I like him. He's coming with us.". Morrigan scoffs before saying something that causes me to laugh harder than I ever have before.

"We now have a dog and Alistair is still the dumbest one in the party.". I stand up and begin walking away as Alistair bitches. I'm a few feet away when I call for them.

"Alistair! Morrigan!". I hesitate for a moment.

"Duncan!".

* * *

When we reach Lothering Duncan is walking to my left, Morrigan to my right, and Alistair is trailing behind me. We're walking down a stone bridge to the settlement when a group of armed men approaches us. Two of them come forward and motion for us to stop. I halt, but feel my stomach begin to clench in rage. _These men are clearly bandits! I should cut them down where they stand before any of them can speak!_ One of the men starts to open his mouth to speak. _In fact, why don't I do just that?_ I slide my sword out from my back and swing it at the men. One of them goes stumbling back while the leader shakes in place. There's a large scratch in his armor that's oozing a tiny bit of blood, but he isn't dead.

The rest of his men instantly draw their weapons and begin attacking. I throw my head back and scream before charging at the group. Morrigan is running backwards and firing off tiny spells as quickly as she can, Alistair is struggling to defend against three enemies, and Duncan is right beside me. My Mabari snaps at the ankles of my foes and holds strong ones down for me. He'll even rip at their flesh and sink his fangs into them when he gets the chance. I end up needing his help greatly. He fends off weaker enemies as I go after the bandit leader. The leader and I slam our swords at one another as quickly as we can without any tact.

I feel his sword bang against my armor and nick my exposed scar, but my attacks are doing more damage. I'm crushing his armor and cutting the mail that connects his entire suit. The battle finally turns when Duncan grabs onto his leg and yanks him to the ground. I drop my sword down and stab at the man's exposed throat. Blood washes over me and I smirk as I rip the blade from him. I whistle at my dog (who's nibbling at the body). Duncan looks up and goes 'hmm' while cocking his head to the side.

"Can you do anything about this gory mess?". The Mabari barks and begins lapping at my armor. A gigantic smile splits my face and I pet the dog as he works. _He's literally the single cutest thing I've seen in my entire life! If only I had a small army of Mabari hounds._.. Alistair and Morrigan walk over and begin talking to me, and they ruin mine and Duncan's bonding moment. The hound still licks away, but I stop petting him to listen to Alistair.

"I think we need a plan-". I look to Morrigan and see a sneer on her face. The woman meets my eyes and her expression changes. A smirk crosses her lips and she nods towards me. Does she want me to stop Alistair? Morrigan's eyes flicker to Alistair and she nods once again. That must be it. She must want me to shut Alsitair up before he starts annoying her.

I flip around to my fellow Grey Warden and shut him up.

"I have a plan, a destination, and an idea. Just shut up and enjoy the walk because I know what the fuck I'm doing.". Alistair stares at me in a stunned silence, but doesn't try to stop me when I push past him and begin walking down the steps towards Lothering. The tiny village is dirty, crowded, and the youngest building looks like it's a hundred years old. I sneer at the condition of the multiple refugees walking around and trying to get the chaotic village into order. _Why isn't anyone doing anything to help them? They're Shem, but they're still fleeing Darkspawn._ I shake my head and continue deeper into the city.

As I walk I think of a plan. Duncan is still lapping at my ankles as I go, so it makes it a little hard to think. I can probably go to the Dalish camp the human Duncan marked on my map. One of the treaties requires them to help, so it's a double win. Alistair will get the people he needs to fight the Blight and I'll get the perfect sanctuary to hide out in until the Blight ends. I'm still thinking when I see the perfect building. A leaning tavern has a sign hanging above it, but all I can make out is the picture of a mug of ale. I quickly ask the opinion of my fellow travelers, but only listen to Duncan and Morrigan's views.

"Do either of you want to stop and get a drink before going and setting up camp?". Morrigan makes a sour expression, but consents.

"I could rest my feet and have a glass of wine.". Duncan sits down and puts on what a swear is a 'contemplating' face. He actually looks like a scholar figuring out a complex equation to end the threat of the Blight itself.

" _Bark!"_. That's a 'yes' from Duncan. Alistair begins shaking his head at the notion.

"We need to set up camp and-". I raise my arms and cut him off with a happy scream.

"To the tavern!". The citizens of Lothering cower and look at us oddly. They only look at us even more oddly when Duncan jumps into my arms and I carry the gargantuan, barking Mabari towards the inn. Morrigan offers a wry chuckle as she follows after me and Alistair groans.

Most of us are celebrating until we get into the inn. The dingy, two-story building itself isn't too shabby. A few tables with a roaring fire beside them, a bar, and an upstairs sleeping area like a loft. The reason we all stop is the three armed and armored men that see us, stand up, and block our path. I drop Duncan to the floor and he snarls at the enemies. I draw my blade as my friends draw their weapons. The armed men do the same. For a moment both sides just stand there with their weapons drawn. Then, the leader of their side speaks.

"You're the Grey Warden we've been asking about this entire morning! You betrayed the king!". I'm about to snarl off a threat when a soft, delicate voice speaks from my left.

"Maybe everyone should calm down and take a breather.". I take a deep breath and feel my chest and insides clench. That soft, euphonious voice is practically making me weak in the knees. I've never heard a single voice as pleasing to my ear since my mother died. I begin putting my sword up and nodding at the person I haven't looked at (my eyes are stilled locked on the armed men). I decide to agree with whoever that wonderful voice belongs to.

"Yes, I think we should-". The leader lunges at me and I'm instantly back in 'warrior' mode. My vision begins to shake and my ears ring enough to block out that voice that had me almost melting.

I slash and hack without thought. A few hits dent my armor and a nice new nick is added to my face, but the main thing that gets through is the fountain of blood that cascades over me during the battle. However, before I can strike the killing blow someone stops me. A gentle, callous hand wraps around my own naked wrist and stops me. I feel my sword sliding out of my grip. Someone catches it and puts it back on my back. I look over at the owner of the hand and almost stop breathing when I see her. She's wearing bloody robes of a chantry sister and daggers strapped to her back, but that's not what catches my attention.

The woman's striking blue eyes, cascading red hair, and beautiful complexion cause me to struggle to even think. _She's beautiful, her voice is amazing, and she's- A SHEM! Shem! Just another shem_... The woman's delicate touch leaves me and I find myself longing to have another interaction with her. The sister grants my wish by talking to me.

"Spare these men. Let them go, they've learned their lesson.". Morrigan scoffs, but I ignore her for once. Instead, I shake my head and vaguely motion at who I'm assuming are Loghain's men. The thugs flee, but I never take my eyes off of the woman. A gracious smile graces her lips and she thanks me.

"I'm glad that didn't end in more bloodshed.". I nod and keep trying to think of anything to say. The sister beats me to it.

"I'm Leliana! It's a pleasure to meet you.". She holds her hand out to me. I automatically reach out and take it before shaking her hand. I can't feel her soft skin through my armor, but I can see her smile. Finally, the woman speaks again and graces me with her voice.

"Did those men claim you were a Grey Warden?". I nod and her smile gets bigger.

"Excellent! I'd like to join you in fighting the Blight!". I know I must look like an idiot because I can barely ask (mostly moan) a single word.

"Why?". Leliana drops my hand and stands up straight.

"The Maker sent me to aid you!". Morrigan laughs and I can't say I blame her. I don't believe in the Maker in the slightest. However, this sweet, kind, and beautiful woman obviously does. I do the only thing I can.

"Welcome aboard!". Morrigan's laughter dies and is replaced with snark.

"Did you hit your head harder than mother thought?". I pay Morrigan no mind and begin handing better supplies over to Leliana. The sister offers me a grateful, happy smile and a twinkle of her eye. My spine tingles and my bones turn to jelly. Leliana begins strapping her new weapons to her back and I make a good use of time. Mostly by making sure everyone's happy.

"Alistair! Go make camp and stay there!".


	8. Temptation

The Grey Warden balks and begins spluttering in an attempt to argue with me. Instantly, I glare and stalk up to the man. I'm not nearly as tall as him, but I puff myself up and attempt to look threatening. It works because Alistair smartly shuts his mouth and stops looking me in the eye. The man mumbles something about 'ungrateful' underneath his breath before storming out of the tavern. _He's acting like a damned baby. Just grow up and accept that nobody wants to be around you, then we can all suffer together in quiet discontent_. He slams the door behind him and proves my point. Duncan is panting and looking at me with soft eyes that scream love; Morrigan has a smug smirk on her face as she looks at where Alistair once stood; and Leliana is still strapping her daggers to her back.

I'm almost sucked into becoming a drooling idiot again. Then, I catch myself and remind myself she's a shem. A pretty shem, but still a shem. Leliana finishes putting her weapons on and looks up at me. Her gentle smile causes an ache deep in my heart. _Pull yourself together! You're a damned elf and all shem are terrible creatures out to harm you! Just ignore the eyes and smile_... The red-haired sister says something that forces me back into reality.

"I'd prefer a bow whenever you find one.". I nod without even thinking of the one in my pack from the bandits. Morrigan snorts and I feel her hand lightly place itself on my shoulder. I look over and see the woman glaring at me. Surprisingly, her glare doesn't make me shiver or cow me. The witch seems to notice because she glares harder. I do something I'll most likely regret and glare back. _Damn, it's like her attraction isn't even working on me. Sweet! I can finally treat her like the shem she is!_ Something clicks in my mind and I realize I probably have a weakness for pretty girls. Morrigan stops glaring, but I can see a coldness come to her eyes as she calmly commands me.

"We need to talk. Alone.". I shoot a glance at Leliana. She smiles again and my chest tightens. _Looks like I have a weakness for the prettiest girl_. Morrigan begins leading me away. Duncan tries to follow, but the witch swings at him and I motion for him to leave in order to avoid my dog getting hit. Duncan whimpers, but turns around and practically tackles Leliana. The sister laughs before dropping to her knees and petting my dog. The last thing I see before I'm pulled out of the building is Duncan rolling onto his back and Leliana laughing. Then, Morrigan has successfully pulled be outside and yanks me around to the side of the building. I feel my back roughly slam against the wall as the woman traps me.

"What was that back there?! You were a drooling idiot!". My stomach tightens and I begin thrashing against Morrigan. Not enough to break free, but enough to let her know what I think of her pinning me against a wall. The apostate holds me tighter and digs her nails into the flesh of my arm. A hiss of pain slides past my lips and I stop fighting. Morrigan isn't nearly as cute as Leliana, but she still scares me and there's no harm in having her as a backup. Besides, I suppose I have a small amount of respect for her. The witch clearly doesn't feel the same way because she starts snarling off a warning to me.

"You're acting like a damned Orlesian pet! Your ancestors defended the Dales until their last breath, but you trip over your own feet at the sight of a pretty smile!". She shakes me roughly and keeps growling off her speech.

"Act like a proud elf and not an idiot teenage boy! You aren't some domesticated cow that was bred for human pleasure, so start acting like it!". I try to think of the people back home and the injustice done to them. A small flame burns inside me and is rallying my spirit. Then, it shrinks at the thought of Leliana smiling at me. _No! I'm an elf! A strong elf who won't take orders from shem!_ I nod to Morrigan and make her a single promise.

"I'll treat Leliana no different than I would treat Alistair.". A smile crosses Morrigan's lips and she nods. Finally, the apostate backs away and allows me away from the wood.

"I'm glad we understand each other.". An almost enraged look comes over her face.

"That woman is an insane fanatic who believes her dreams are 'signs from the Maker'! I'm glad you came to your senses before something happened and all of us ended up being murdered by her.". Morrigan stomps away before I can say anything. I hate to admit it, but the woman has a point. I need to stop acting like an idiot around Leliana. She's pretty and nice (and a terrible shem), but I'm going to freak her out or let my guard down too much. I just need to treat her like she was an average looking elven woman.

Elven? Am I really going to treat this woman like an elf? No. She'll never understand the pain or suffering my people have gone through. I'll treat her like a human... not a shem. It'll be the hardest thing of my life, but I need to manage it. I won't be drooling over her like a damned idiot, and I'll still be able to sate my crush until it blows over into nothing. I take a deep breath and follow Morrigan back into the tavern. I see Leliana still petting Duncan and suck in my breath. I feel my own hands digging around in my bag until I find a bow. I rush past Morrigan (I swear I hear a snarl from her) and practically shove the weapon at the sister.

Leliana takes the bow from me and nods in appreciation.

"Thank you. I'll make sure to use it wisely.". She hands the daggers back to me and straps the bow to her back. I shove the daggers at Morrigan; Morrigan curses at me; and I motion for Leliana to sit with me at a table. There's nothing wrong with getting to know a little about the woman I'll soon be traveling with. Leliana sits down beside me and Duncan flops onto my feet. I scratch the dog with my boot and listen to his leg _thump_ on the floor. Leliana laughs like a damned saint and I barely manage to remind myself not to be creepy. Morrigan throws the daggers to the floor and thunders over to the bar. I ignore the mage and speak to the sister before me.

"So, this vision of yours...". Leliana frowns and I instantly regret saying anything about it. However, the woman remains calm and tries to explain it.

"I knew this would come up. I dreamed of being at the edge of a deep pit. Inside of it was nothing. Corruption and darkness surrounded me. In the end I jumped, but I woke up before anything else could happen.". It sounds like she dreamed of the Blight. Darkness and corruption sound about right. That will doesn't explain why she'd want to help me.

"Why did your dream make you want to risk your life to come and help me defeat the Blight?". Leliana bites her lips as she tries to once again explain things to me.

"I couldn't stand by and just let the Blight sweep across the land. I wanted to make a difference and you're a Grey Warden.". She sits up a little straighter and gets closer to me to speak.

"I don't believe what they say about Ostagar. I still think you're a true hero who needs to save the day. If you can do that, then I'd follow you anywhere. I couldn't sit idle. I needed to act. The Maker sent you to me, so I decided now was the perfect time". I don't know much about the Chantry, but I know they think the Maker has abandoned us. Why would Leliana believe anything different than that?

"But the Chantry says the Maker has abandoned us.". Leliana shakes her head.

"I do not believe that. His love for us is eternal and beyond measure. He would at least allow us the means to defend ourselves from the Darkspawn. I know some of my fellows at the Chantry disagreed with me.". I don't believe in the Maker at all, but it clearly matters to Leliana. I can also guess that almost everyone she's told that to has disagreed with her. I can tell from the look on her face that she's waiting for me to say something about her belief. I might not agree with it, but I decide to be nice and at least say something true and kind to her. She's been through a lot and deserves that much.

"I think I prefer your belief over those taught at the Chantry.". Leliana looks at me like I've just said the single thing she wanted to hear, but never expected to. The woman breaths a sigh of relief and seems to smile at me as she speaks.

"Thank you. It's good to know I'm traveling with someone who can think for themselves.". I almost melt into another puddle, but I manage to hold myself together. Then, a loud gagging noise beside my ear ruins the moment. I look over my shoulder and see Morrigan glaring at me. The witch points towards the door and snarls a warning to me.

"We need to get back to camp before we spend the entire day chatting and not accomplishing anything.". I'm about to say something when Leliana speaks to me (completely ignoring Morrigan).

"Wait! You need to stay and help the people of Lothering! It won't take longer than an hour or two, and these people won't survive long either way! The least you want do is make their last few hours as comfortable as possible...". I honestly want to leave and get it over with, but I can see on Leliana's face that staying and helping means something to her. Morrigan is going to be upset either way, so I might as well decide to try to make Leliana a little happier with me. I look into the sister's eyes and nod.

"Okay. We'll stay and help for a little bit.". Morrigan groans and throws her hands up into the air; Duncan slides out from under the table and begins looking for whatever Morrigan threw; and Leliana chuckles a little while I decide to get this show on the road. I stand and whistle to Duncan. My Mabari runs over to me. A smile crosses my face as I ruffle his fur, then grab onto his worn leather collar and start walking with him. He's capable of walking and staying with me, but I like holding his collar. It makes me feel like we have a stronger bond. Leliana agrees because she walks beside me and smiles at me and Duncan bonding. Morrigan trails behind us and occasionally lets out a dramatic sigh. Typical. Duncan breaks free and rushes a nearby child. Yes, completely typical.

* * *

 **Note: I'd like to apologize for my small absence. I was busy taking care of things going on at my house. There's still some stuff going on, so expect another delay. I'm sorry, but sometimes life gets in the way and it's useless to try to fight it.**


	9. Bandits and Bears

I sigh as I rest my head against the Chantry's bounty board. Citizens are still screaming as my Mabari runs around with the small child he found in his mouth. Leliana was aghast and is still trying to rip the child from my dog's mouth. Morrigan is the only one still by my side, and she's busy holding back her chuckles. The only mercy of this entire situation is that Leliana doesn't seem upset or mad at me and I'm free to examine the bounties.

Some bandits are attacking farms outside the limits of Lothering and a few bears and set up in a cave a little north of here. I tear down the pages and shove them in my bag. I'm barely done when Leliana comes up to me with a saddened Duncan slowly walking behind her. I pat my dog on the head and scratch his ear as I question Leliana.

"Anything happen to the boy?". Leliana shakes her head and dusts off her robes. _Huh, I might want to get her some armor_. I look around and see a merchant arguing with a Chantry sister over something, but that's not the important part. The important part is that he's a merchant and I have a few silver to buy Leliana some proper leathers. My attraction to the woman is waning now that the life-threatening reality of my situation is once again bearing down on me, but I still don't want a random bandit's arrow to end her life while she travels with me.

When I arrive at the scene the merchant turns to me and smiles.

"You there! How would you like to make some silver?". The shem cowers as I glare and snarl at him before questioning his offer.

"What?". The merchant points at the sister.

"Run her off, so she'll stop bothering me!". I'm about to tell the shem to fuck himself because he's pissing me off, then the sister speaks.

"Please! He's overcharging these people for supplies they desperately need!". Well, that makes it different. These refugees are shem (I think I saw a few elves, but not enough to justify calling them 'shem and elves'), but it's still wrong to deny them basic supplies. Their deaths are upon them, so they should at least go in comfort. I despise shem with all of my heart; I just think any poor refugee should be able to die with a warm stomach and rolled up in a comfy bed. Morrigan is cruel enough to disagree.

"Any of them would do the same in his situation. Chase the sister off and get the silver.". _Wow, she makes me look like a saint compared to her. I might be a little cruel to her kind, but I'm never as harsh as her. Besides, pissing rich merchant shems off is something I'm in favor of_. Leliana seems to like how I think.

"He's being cruel! Stand up for the population that doesn't have a voice!". Duncan doesn't seem to have an opinion because he just looks at me and wags his stubby tail.

I inwardly groan as I look at the man and shrug.

"Start selling your supplies at a fair price, or lose all of your items.". The shem eyes me and seems to decide I'm powerful enough to go through with my threat of beating him up and taking all of his belongings. _Smart man_. The merchant throws his hands up in the air and relents to the sister.

"Fine! Damn you all! I'll lower my prices!". The sister looks at me and a tremendous grin splits her face before she thanks me.

"Thank you!". She presses a few coppers into my hands and practically flies back to the chantry. I pocket the money and shake my head a little. _These coppers are nothing compared to what the merchant was offering_. I look over at the merchant with a small ounce of longing in my heart, but I already know it's useless. The man is sulking and kicking the ground. I'm intimidating, just not enough to convince him to give me money for 'chasing the sister off'. Leliana decides to speak up about what I did.

"I think you did the right thing. It's nice to see you helping people.". _She likes what I did! It's not much, but she still liked what I did!_ Morrigan shoves herself in the conversation and promptly ruins my happy mood.

"Oh yes, won't the Darkspawn be impressed by what we've done here.". _That's actually a really, really bitchy thing to say to someone._

I consider calling Morrigan out on it, but don't. I still want her to like me and swallowing my pride is required. Swallowing my pride isn't the worst thing I've done to get a girl to like me. Duncan cheers me up by licking my hand and rubbing his skull against me until I pet him. I take a moment to look at my team and decide what to do. Morrigan is pouting and glaring; Duncan is licking himself; and Leliana is lightly smiling at me and waiting for me to say something.

I consider getting Leliana some armor, then decide against it. The merchant is still pissed and will probably charge me too much for shitty armor. Instead, I dig around in my pack and find the papers. So, either bandits or bears. I examine the papers a little closer and find out something fantastic. The farms the bandits have been spotted at are on the way to the bears' den. We can kill the bandits on the way to the bears. I fold up the papers and tell my group the plan. "

Alright, let's go north and find the bandits' hideouts and the bears' den. Then, we'll return here and get the reward.". Leliana's smile grows and she nods to me. Morrigan scoffs and is sarcastic again.

"It's a good thing that Darkspawn are allied with bandits and bears, or else we'd be wasting our time going off and killing all of these random villains.". Duncan barks at me, but that means nothing.

I decide to ignore all of them and get started on our missions. The crowded city is quickly left behind as we all head northwards. We pass a gigantic Qunari trapped in a cage on the outskirts of Lothering, but I give him a wide distance as I continue on my way. My father warned me of the Qun and its people when I was a young girl, so I know the dangers of getting near one of those people. Instead, I turn my attention to a farm up ahead of us. I already see people gathering around in the middle of the field and can see their armor and weapons. Cheap leather armor and iron weapons. Clearly bandits or very, very poor mercenaries. Considering the bounty I'm going to assume they're the bandits.

I pull my sword from my back and everyone gets ready. Morrigan lowers her staff, Duncan growls, and Leliana loads her bow. The bandits hear us coming and try to defend themselves. Unfortunately, Duncan is faster than any of us. He rams into one of the bandit's legs and brings her to the ground. Her three fellows try to pry my beast off of their companion, and that's when I reach them. I hack my sword deep in between one of the brigand's ribs and hear him scream with fury. The man tries to rip his sword out and defend himself, but I'm faster than him. I rip my sword out of him and aim for the same wound a second time.

When I rip my sword away hot, thick blood pours over me and the bandit goes down. Duncan's finished off his enemy and another bandit is on the ground covered in arrows. Duncan is sinking his teeth into the last bandit's leg as arrows and magic rain down upon him. I put my blade away and watch my team do their job. When everything's said and done I begin looting the bodies. A full set of leather armor for Leliana; leather boots and gloves for Morrigan; and a leather helmet for me.

I give my companions their supplies and all of us change. Leliana takes a few minutes to awkwardly put her armor over her robes before stripping, but other than that we act quickly. I look at the paper and cross off one area that the bandits were reported in. Finally, I snap my fingers at Duncan and begin walking towards the second area. My dog barks and begins licking my armor as we all go.

Morrigan groans and Leliana chuckles a little, but neither of them say anything about me letting my dog lick the bandits' blood off of me. It takes us a few minutes to reach the next spot where the bandits are suppose to be. Three men are milling around and in the same shitty gear as the others. I look over my shoulder and ask a simple question.

"Everyone ready?". Duncan growls while Leiana and Morrigan nod at me.

Duncan and I charge the bandits while Leliana and Morrigan attack from a distance. A few stray arrows _dink_ off of my armor and a spell nearly cripples my knee, but other than that everything works out perfectly. In fact, I've noticed the battles getting less and less exciting for me. No white noise pounding in my ears, no heart pumping like wild, and no nervousness in my gut. As I sink my blade into a man's gut I think I realize why. This is too easy. I know I'm going to kill them all with no trouble. _Damn, fighting almost feels like a chore now_. Duncan finishes ripping out a man's throat while Leliana and Morrigan kill the other with their projectiles.

I've already put my sword away by the time it's done. I kick a body of a bandit without looting it. I doubt they have anything of interest anyway. I pull out my map and see the bear's den is a small walk away from us. Honestly, I'm not even sure why I bothered doing this. I want Leliana to like me, but the attraction's starting to wear off. It usually does, it's just that when it wears off I'm usually over the girl.

I've gotten over Morrigan (although I still want a powerful witch as a friend and fighting by my side) and for some reason haven't moved on from Leliana. I want her to be my friend (I'll admit more would be nice) and she isn't even powerful. She's not a healer, particularly intimidating fighter, or commanding presence.

I'm still struggling to find out why I still want her around me. She's religious, a shem, and not useful to me at all. There's literally no reason I should even bother wanting her, but here I am. Doing things to impress her and taking time away from my own personal agenda. I always want pretty girls to like me, I just usually don't go to this much trouble. I'm still thinking about my feelings when Duncan barks and begins rubbing away as quickly as he possibly can. I groan and turn. Sure enough, three bears are standing about fifty feet away from us. I draw my blade and begin running. _Might as well get this over with._

* * *

 **Note: I'd once again like to apologize for the wait. I'm trying my best, but my computer's starting to give out on me. I'd start expecting week long delays. I'm terribly sorry. Life just gets in the way sometimes and there's nothing we can do about it.**


	10. Sten

By the time the last bear is dead I'm soaked in blood; heaving with exhaustion; and as angry as I could possibly be. Duncan even shies away from me as I begin storming back to Lothering. _This is literally the biggest waste of time! I shouldn't have even done this!_ Leliana and Morrigan trail after me, but keep their distance due to my obvious burning hatred. _It's all because of them! If Leliana hadn't opened her mouth, then I wouldn't have done any of this!_ The citizens of Lothering practically dodge me as I continue cutting through the city and heading towards the Chantry. The chanter outside cowers at me as I toss my bounties in his face. The poor man fiddles with the paper and struggles to see what they say. His incompetence is the straw that breaks this camel's back.

"Hurry the fuck up and give me my gold!". The chanter quickly digs into his pockets and gives me everything he has. Finally, Leliana and Morrigan catch up to me. I'm still burning with hatred, but now they're both not afraid to get near me. Leliana sees the gold in my hand and gives me another one of her smiles.

"I'm glad to see that you're helping the people of Lothering.". Morrigan scoffs and I ignore her. Leliana's happiness and smile doesn't send my heart aflutter or make me struggle to breathe; however, it does calm me down and slowly begin leeching my anger from me.

 _It was a complete and utter waste of time doing all of those stupid quests, but at least it made Leliana happy. Now I just need to focus on leaving and getting to camp_. I pocket my money and finally begin leaving Lothering. We've almost past the edge of the city when Leliana stops me once again. Her gentle hand comes to rest on my shoulder. Instantly and without thought, I violently jerk away from her and scream.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!". Leliana recoils as I take a few steps away and shudder. The entire time I've been exposed to shem I've been able to avoid touching them. There's always been the occasional brief touch of Duncan; Alistair's few touches; or Leliana's gentle caresses, but those were different. It was either coming from someone who I was fighting with or when I was too love-struck to argue. Now she's just touching me without giving any warning. I can withstand the touch of an elf, but the touch of a shem is where I draw the line. Humans shouldn't touch elves without giving them some warning. It's just natural. _Is it? Is it really normal to recoil when someone touches you?_ My inner ramblings are stopped when Leliana tries to apologize and explain what she was doing.

"I'm sorry... I just wanted to tell you that I think we should talk to the Qunari over there. The chantry locked him up and I think he could be useful.". I almost bit the poor woman's head off for touching my shoulder. It's a little thing to me, but it might be a big thing to her. So, the 'nicest' thing to do to blow this situation over would be to go over and look at the poor sod who's locked up. I walk around Leliana and go over to the caged Qunari.

He's dressed in peasant's clothes and doesn't have a single weapon on him; yet, he still manages to look terrifying. The grey skinned giant towers over me and I can see rippling muscles underneath his clothes. Strangely, he's lacking the horns the rest of his people have. The man is currently looking at the ground and ignoring me. I reach out and tap the metal cage. The Qunari looks up at me with cold eyes and an even colder question.

"Are you here to torment me?". I shake my head and try to calm him down.

"No. Why are you in this cage?". The man walks forward a little to get a better look at me. I can practically feel him sizing me up as he answers.

"I placed myself in here.". Okay. That's extremely weird and vague, but okay. I guess I'll just have to roll with it and hope that something good happens.

"Would you like out?". He shakes his head.

"Why do you ask?". I decide I might as well try to get him on my side. He's big enough to be of use and I'm sure Leliana will think highly of me for springing him.

"I'm a Grey Warden and I'm looking for skilled help in stopping the Blight.". The Qunari's eyes light up and he almost presses himself against the cage's door.

"Stopping the Blight... That's a worthy goal.". He nods and keeps talking.

"My name is Sten of the Beresaad. Free me.". I step aside and look over at my shoulder to Leliana. The woman raises her eyebrow in a silent question. I nod and point to the locked door of the Qunari's cage. Leliana slides past me, kneels down, and begins going to work on the lock before her. It's only a minute or two before the door opens up and the man steps out. The Qunari stretches and looks around. He gives one silent nod, then asks me a question I don't know how to answer.

"What should I do?". I look at the team behind me and come to an instant decision. I'm not getting rid of my dog, Leliana needs to stay around me so I can know her better, and a Qunari is too good to pass up. A mage, however, can easily be replaced with a strong warrior. Especially a mage that can't even heal anyone. I turn to Morrigan and break the news as gently as I can to her.

"I need you to go find Alistair and help him set up camp.". The woman's eyes go wide and she's instantly arguing.

"You're going to have three melee warriors and a single rogue! You need _at least_ one more distance fighter to make the battleground even!". I shrug and point towards where Alistair stormed off to make camp.

Morrigan shoots me a glare before finally relenting and storming off. Duncan begins trailing after her, but comes back when I whistle. When Duncan's back I decide to talk to our new 'friend'.

"Do you need any arms or armor, or do you mind if we wait until camp?". The hornless Qunari stares at me for a few seconds. A weaker woman would cower under his gaze; however, I know I can kill him if the need should arise. Finally, the man speaks.

"I'll survive until camp.". I nod and instantly begin walking towards camp. All of my team is silent until we notice something ahead. I stop and look at the people blocking our path. Ragged, poorly dressed, and filthy. The group of refugees is mingling in the road and awkwardly holding weapons. Leliana comes up to my side and shares my exact thoughts out loud.

"I don't like the looks of this.". I nod to show I agree with her. A group of starving people with weapons waiting in the middle of the road is a recipe for disaster. I scan the area and see a small rock pile to the right of the refugees. If we sneak around it, then we can completely bypass the people in the road. I grab Duncan by the collar to assure he doesn't try to greet the new people as we walk. Leliana and Sten both follow after me. All of us easily walk around the rock pile without any of the people noticing us.

I spare a final glance at the ragged shem; I even spit in their direction when I see them looking for (most likely) us. Sten grunts in approval while Leliana and Duncan remain silent. My group is forced back onto the ruined road that leads out of Lothering. I have no idea how Morrigan or Alistair avoided them, but the second we're on the bridge we're attacked by Darkspawn. I groan as Sten charges forward with Duncan. The poor unarmored Qunari is going to get hurt if I don't help him, so I take out my sword and rush forward. Instantly, I know Morrigan was fight about having three warriors. All of us are shoving, hitting, and fighting one another to get to the enemy we want to fight. There isn't even a hint of my battle rage as I'm forced to shove and jostle for my position on the field.

Poor Leliana can't even fire an arrow as her allies swarm the enemies. It takes us twice as long as it should, but eventually the Darkspawn are dead and we can move on. I'm leaving when I notice a dwarf is motioning to me. _Looks like we saved him from the Darkspawn_. I strut past the man and continue on my way. We find the camp a few miles into the woods that surround Lothering. I make a mental note to demand we move further away before the Darkspawn overcome Lothering. Being that close to the horde doesn't sit well with me.

I take in the area as my companions get settled. We're in the clearing with rocks surrounding us on all sides besides the entrance. _Well, at least it's easy to defend._ Duncan is sitting near the entrance and scratching at the ground with dust covering him. _Cute_. Alistair is nursing a fire in the middle of the clearing that's surrounded by tents. My fellow Grey Warden throws his hands in the air when he sees Sten, then begins putting up another tent. _Stupid_. Morrigan is set up at her own fire and shelter at the opposite end of the clearing. _Okay, she can be like that. Not like I give a shit_.

Sten is standing by the fire and kicking a rock in boredom. _Odd_. Finally, Leliana is sitting by a tent by the fire. _Also cute_. I decide to call over the team I'm going to take out on my mission with me. I whistle for Duncan; motion Leliana over; and scream for Morrigan. It takes a minute or two for Morrigan to get over to us, then we're ready to start. I sit down on the ground, Duncan flops down beside me, and my human companions sit down with me. I unroll the map Duncan (the human one) gave me all those days ago in the middle of the woods. I take a piece of charcoal from my pocket and mark out Ostagar, the Korcari Wilds, and Lothering. Those are the areas that're taken over by the Darkspawn, or at least about to be taken over.

Suddenly, Leliana points to the area Duncan circled. The red circle is faded, but it's enough. My human acquaintance asks a question that I can easily answer for once.

"Why's the marked?". I open my mouth, then freeze up. What am I going to tell her? 'That's where I was going to run away to instead of becoming a Grey Warden.'? No, I need to tell her something that'll make me look like I know what I'm doing. Thankfully, I have an idea of what to say.

"That's where we're going first. We're going to use one of the treaties to make the Dalish work with us.". Leliana smiles and nods.

"That sounds like a wonderful place to start.". I run it past the team I'm going to take out.

"Sound good to everyone?". Morrigan and Leliana nod while Duncan barks. Well, that's that. Looks like we're going to the Dalish.


	11. The Dalish

We're trudging along a well-beaten path to the Dalish camp when the silence becomes far too much to bear. Nobody's said a single word for hours and it's driving me insane! Finally, I turn to Leliana and strike up a conversation to keep me in my right mind. I can tell from her speech that she's from Orlais and her specialization is in the 'bard' section of being a rogue, so I decide to strike up a conversation about those two topics.

"Leliana?". The woman looks at me and goes 'hmm'.

"I heard that in Orlais, minstrels are often spies.". Leliana's face seems to light up at our conversation and a roguish smile crosses her lips.

"Where did you hear this?". I turn around in order to walk backwards and still talk to the woman while making progress.

"Someone told me that a long time ago.". Morrigan and Duncan fall back as Leliana and I keep talking.

"Do you believe everything that everyone tells you?". I decide to go along with the conversation and try to win some friendship points with Leliana. So, I nod and earn a laugh before our conversation progresses.

"Not all minstrels are spies, some are just singers and storytellers. But some of them are... are what we call bards.". Is there really a difference?

"What's the difference?". I see Morrigan mocking our conversation to Duncan, but she looks extremely foolish because she's literally talking to a dog.

"Many bards work alone, or in small groups, doing the bidding of a patron who pays for their services. If there is an organization behind it all, no one knows who they are.". I focus on my conversation with Leliana and ignore Morrigan making faces at me.

"What sort of services does a bard offer?". Leliana walks a little closer to me and seems to actually enjoy the conversation.

"They mostly do the bidding of their patrons. The patrons are the ones who really run the show. In secret they plot and scheme to destroy each other. It is a game completely meaningless to anyone but its players.". I'm getting the feeling Leliana was once a bard. She's an amazing rogue and her special talent is literally 'bard', so I think it's a safe guess. I decide to call her out on it and justify my musings.

"You were a bard, weren't you?". Leliana's grin splits her entire face as she keeps talking in her sing-song voice.

"I have revealed too much, it seems. But it doesn't matter what I used to be. It is the past.". The woman is walking closer to me and I can tell that this would be the perfect chance to earn a little more of her friendship.

"So that's where you learned to fight like that.". Leliana gives a sort of nod and shake combined.

"I learned many skills as a bard, but my fighting was picked up mostly during my travels and adventures.". Morrigan interrupts out conversation by loudly announcing our destination.

"Look! The Dalish! Looks like we can't talk any more! Oh well!". Morrigan practically yanks me towards the camp ahead of us. Duncan comes bounding after us and seems extremely happy, but I swear I can see Leliana glare at Morrigan as she trails after the group. We've barely entered the Dalish camp when three warriors stand in our path with their weapons drawn. My shem (and canine) companions instantly back up and allow me to do the talking. Probably for the best.

If I was a Dalish warrior, then I'd shoot every shem I could. The warriors in front of me seem to share my thoughts because they have their bows trained on Morrigan and Leliana; however, I'm not even threatened as the lead warriors comes up to speak to me. My fellow elf nods a little before speaking.

"Why have you come here? You're one of our kind, but you're not Dalish. Have you come to escape the shem?". She looks over my shoulder at Morrigan and Leliana.

"Did these shem force you here, or bring you here in hopes of some reward?". The other warriors yank their bows back a little tighter while their leader keeps speaking.

"Did the shem hold you hostage? Are you their slave? Shall we kill them and free you of them? Blink twice for 'no' and once for 'yes'.". A deep yearning for freedom and ease tempt me to blink once. The thought of Leliana getting hurt and the Darkspawn killing everyone bring me back to reality though. I ignore my fellow elf's request and instead begin speaking.

"I'm a Grey Warden and I've come to speak to your elder.". The warriors instantly put their weapons away and the lead one eyes me warily.

"I want to know what you want first. Shem, dogs, and domesticated elves aren't looked upon kindly here.". Clearly, I'm not going to tell someone just because 'they want to know'. Besides, this woman isn't important enough to know. She's an elf, but an elf who thinks I'm 'domesticated'.

"No. I'll only speak to your leader.". The other women sighs and relents to my forceful argument and stern gaze. Her warriors slink away as she motions for me to follow her.

"Alright, but this better be good.". My group and I are led through the heart of the Dalish camp. Quickly, I absorb as much information as I possibly can in my limited amount of time. Tents are erected everywhere, multiple fires are burning, and benches are pushed up around almost every fire. My kind seem to swarm and buzz around the area. Cooking, cleaning, skinning kills, or doing anything that keeps a camp's heart beating. I even see an armorer selling his wares outside one of the larger tents. However, the most amazing thing are the Halla that idly wander the camp.

The white deer have tremendous silver antlers gracing their heads. I'm aware that the Halla let elves ride them occasionally, but I don't want to push my luck. Those horns (and the Dalish arrows each elf here carries) look like they could pack a punch. I'm still admiring the Halla when the Dalish warrior finally leads us to her keeper. The bald man is wearing colorful robes, has a silver staff strapped to his back, and intricate tattoos adorning his entire face. The warrior motions at me and explains the situation to her keeper.

"This woman claims to be a Grey Warden and she arrived claiming she needed to speak to you.". The keeper bows his head to the warrior and she disappears into the vast camp. Finally, the keeper turns his attention to me. That's when a deep, thunderous growl from Duncan startles everyone. My hound has his ears flattened, his fangs showing, and is pressing himself into a 'fighting' position. All of his rage is aimed at the keeper.

Suddenly, my dog begins barking, snarling, howling, and growling like wild. The keeper cringes a little as Duncan moves closer and begins snapping at the man's feet. I whistle to get my Mabari's attention. It fails and I'm forced to grab him and yank him into a tight hug against my chest. Instantly, my pooch is the lovable furry mess that I met outside of Lothering.

The keeper begins talking while I try to keep Duncan calm.

"Wonderful, another hound. Like we haven't had enough trouble with them already.". He shakes his head at Duncan before continuing.

"What do you need? If you're here to warn us about the Darkspawn coming up from the south, then don't bother. We've already been warned.". I shake my head and fish out the Dalish treaty from my pocket. I hand the scroll to the man and quickly explain the situation.

"The Blight has arrived and that treaty binds you to the Grey Wardens in their time of need. We need all of your warriors fit to fight for us at a moment's notice.". The man instantly shakes his head and gives me an excuse.

"I'd like to help you, but I have more important concerns at the moment.". I'm about to scream and start cursing the man for breaking a vow, but the keeper motions for me to follow him. I put Duncan down, pat my dog's head, and follow the keeper. We arrive at the healer's area and I instantly understand why he can't help. All of his warriors are on cots and wounded. Deep scratches, bite marks, and some mauling wounds make up all of the injuries. Each warriors is heavily bleeding and looks like they could die at any moment. A single, desperate healer is attempt to staunch the bleeding on a dying man's chest to no avail.

I walk over to one of the warriors and gently run my fingers along a thick, wide tear that goes all the way from her left shoulder to right hip.

"What happened here?". The keeper walks up beside me and explains the situation as quickly as he can.

"A werewolf pack nearby has been harassing us for months. They attack, kidnap, or turn any elf they possibly can. We're forced to kill the ones who survive their attacks and begin to turn. The ones here are the lucky ones who haven't gotten the curse yet. However, even they will change in time. We've tried to move, but the pack attacks us whenever we try to travel.". My chest tightens and my vision begins shrinking. Looks like I found where all that battle rage was going. Something is attacking my people. Not my true people, but my 'technical' people. Werewolves are killing and/or turning my elven brethren into monsters. I turn to the keeper and ask a simple question.

"What's the cure to this?". The keeper points into the thick woods beside the camp and tells me what I need to get.

"The heart of their leader, Witherfang. He's a male white wolf who lives in the heart of the forest. Getting to him won't be easy...". I puff out my chest and try to share my confidence with the man.

"Don't worry, I've done 'not easy' things in the past. I'll get this heart for you.". The keeper looks at me with a relieved expression, but I don't hang around very long to look at him. Instead, I begin heading into the deeper part of the forest.

Duncan, Leliana, and Morrigan all stay close beside me. The area our path leads to has a wooden bridge over some water in front of us, a dirt path up a hill to our right (my sight is obscured by a ridge after that), and the way leading back to the Dalish camp behind us. I scan the area once for interesting things, then when I find nothing I decide to take the path in front of us. The wooden walkway gently goes to the right and the bridge keeps us a few feet above the water.

Finally, the bridge ends and we're on solid ground again. A sparkling white flower is to my left a little further left up the path while the main trail keeps going straight after that. I strut over and pick the flower form the ground. A loud, shaking roar comes from behind me. I flip around and yank my sword out in time to see a gigantic bear charging. Duncan begins snapping at his heels; Morrigan transforms into a smaller bear (that's really, really amazing); and Leliana begins firing at its side.

I do my part by deflecting its snapping jaws and aiming for its head. It takes us a few minutes and I get a new rip in my armor, but in the end we're victorious. I'm kneeling down to loot the bear when another roar greets me. I look up and see four bears charging down the hill towards us. _Well, shit_.


	12. Swiftrunner

When all of the bears are finally dead I take a second to examine our group. Duncan is licking a deep scratch in his side; Morrigan is completely fine and looks like she wants to bite my head off; and Leliana is counting her remaining arrows. I'm soaked in blood, but my only injury is a sore wrist from stabbing a little too deeply into a bear. I put my weapon up and strip the bears of their goods. I get give decent hides and a neat tooth. I take the prizes, then decide what to do with the white flower I saw and picked. It's a pretty flower; however, I've just never been one to keep flowers. It'll wither if I keep if for too long, so I need to get rid of it quick.

Throwing it on the ground to be trampled or crushed seems like a waste. Can I give it to someone? I probably can't keep it until camp, so I'll need to choose someone with me. Duncan would just want to eat it and Morrigan might react negatively to me. Leliana seems like she might like it. My face and neck burn a little at the thought of giving her what can be seen as a 'romantic' gift.

I can always write it off as just a friendly gesture though. I pull out the white flower and twirl it around in my fingers for a few moments. Finally, I accept that I need to give Leliana the flower before I chicken out and end up tossing it. I whistle as I turn around and get everyone's attention turned to me. I motion at Leliana and quietly ask her a question I'm afraid she'll say 'no' to.

"Leliana, would you mind coming with me so that we can have a word?". Leliana nods and begins walking closer to me. Morrigan grumbles and sits down on the ground. Deuncan begins walking towards me, but I shake my head and hold out my hand to motion for him to sit down. My Mabari whimpers a little before flopping down beside Morrigan. I make sure neither of them are going to follow, then walk over to the small area where the first bear was hiding from us. Leliana looks slightly confused as to why I brought her here, but she remains silent and waits for me to be the first to speak.

"I got you something.". I barely manage to squeeze the words out and they're more of a squeak than anything else. Leliana offers me a small reassuring smile and motions for me to keep going. I panic a little at the sight of her kind smile, then practically shove the flower at her. Leliana backs away a small amount when I thrust it at her. Then, she sees what it is and quickly takes it. Neither of us speak as she looks at the white flower in her hand. I've seen them grow in the square back home, so I know they're called 'Andraste's Grace'. That's all I know about the flower. Leliana, however, might know more than me. The sister raises it to her eyes to inspect. Leliana's face seems to suddenly twist into a mask of pure joy. A tremendous smile splits her face and her eyes seem to light up in the happiness.

"These were my mother's flowers! She use to sprinkle them in her clothes!". Well, that's a really, really lucky break for me. Now it'll mean more to her than if it was just a regular old white flower. Leliana keeps looking at the flower in happiness and I quickly think of something that's sure to make her even happier.

"Smell them.". My companion brings the flower up to her nose and takes a deep whiff. Then, she does something I'm not expecting. She throws her arms around me and traps me in a deep, tight hug that makes me tense up. I can't help it. I violently push Leliana away and wrap my own arms around myself while taking a few steps back. Leliana looks like I've just stepped on her puppy, but I honestly don't care. I've had this conversation with her before, and she needs to learn. I was okay with some small touches earlier, but now that I'm calmed down I don't want it. The rogue looks at the ground a little and kicks a rock. I decide to try to explain it to her and give her some reasoning.

"I'm sorry. I just don't like humans touching me before I know them a little better. I just want to get to know you some more, then touching will be completely okay.". Leliana nods a little and tries to make up for what she's done.

"I'm sorry to. I'll make sure to tell you the next time I want to touch you.". I keep rubbing my arms a little, but don't give her anymore trouble for the situation. Leliana carefully wraps the flower and places it in her bag, then gives it a pat for some reason. Finally, we both sense it's time to head back to the group. Duncan and Morrigan both stand up when they see us.

"Are you two done wasting precious time now?". Leliana glares at Morrigan while I ignore her. Everyone stands around for a few seconds before I begin walking up the path. The path leads to another wooden bridge above a small pond. It leads to a small section of land with three wooden bridges. One leads to us, one leads to the alternative path we could've taken to get to this area, and the final bridge leads deeper into the forest.

I take one final glance behind me to see everyone looking at me. Once I'm assured everyone's fine and following me, I cross the bridge onto the strip of land. Suddenly, movement across the bridge from deeper in the woods catches my attention and Duncan starts barking. I let out a deep sigh and wait as three werewolves burst from the undergrowth. The beasts snarl and growl as they charge over towards us. I reach for my weapon, but something happens before I can get my blade beasts stand up and the biggest one cocks his head. Then, he speaks.

"Hrrr. The watch-wolves have spoken truly, my brothers and sisters.". His voice is a deep, growling thing that sounds like he has rocks wedged in his throat. That doesn't seem to stop him from speaking, though.

"Another Dalish come to repay us for our attack, to put us in our place.". I've already grown tired of this conversation. I'm talking to a damned idiot dog that can't tell one elf from another. I decide to tell the beast that, so that he may die with a little more brains in his head.

"I'm not a Dalish! Can't you tell the difference?!". The werewolf snarls and gets down into a pouncing position.

"All of you are the same! The only good elf is a dead elf!". I curl my fingers around the hilt of my blade, but the werewolf stops me by standing up and continuing to speak.

"You speak to Swiftrunner. I lead my cursed brothers and sisters. Hrrr. Turn back now, go back to the Dalish and tell them you have failed.". He takes a step backwards.

"Hrrr. Tell them we will gladly watch them suffer the same curse we have suffered for too long. We will watch them pay!". I take a step forward and am practically smashed up against the werewolf. I only come up to his chest, but I make sure he can feel my armor pressing up against him. I turn my gaze upwards and meet the beast's eyes. His ears are flattened, but he isn't making eye contact. I take another step forward. Swiftrunner breaks and backs up a few feet so that we're not touching. I scoff and give the beast one simple command.

"Begone, beast, or suffer the consequences.". The beast lets out a high-pitched noise from deep in his chest, then snarls at me. However, his snarl is hesitant and not nearly as powerful as last time. He's terrified of me. _Good. Maybe he'll learn that dogs shouldn't attack elves unless they're willing to suffer for their idiocy_. Swiftrunner suddenly speaks and proves my theory of him being afraid right.

"I do not wish for any more of my brothers or sisters to die today.". He looks over his shoulders and lets out a long, low howl. Then, the werewolves turn around and begin fleeing back into the woods. I smile and look at my group. For once, everyone actually looks pleased. Morrigan is smiling (most likely because I intimidated someone); Leliana is nodding at me (probably for avoiding any death); and Duncan has finally stopped barking his head off. I clap my hands together and turn back around. We cross the bridge into the deeper woods and are instantly met with resistance. Five rabid werewolves and three regular wolves come streaming out of the bushes and attempt to flank us. All of my team is already prepared.

Morrigan slams her staff into the ground and takes a few seconds to transform into a bear; Duncan and I are already charging forward; and Leliana has her bow out and aimed. Two wolves and a werewolf surround Duncan; a wolf and three werewolves focus on me; and one werewolf tries to rush Morrigan. Morrigan and her werewolf end up locked together and rolling on the ground, but she's having the most success. Duncan howls and stuns his (well, all of his besides one) and begins biting at them; however, it's slow going before he'll actually be able to hurt them significantly without assistance from someone.

I currently have my own enemies to vanquish. The wolf is snapping at my heels and running around me, so I ignore him for the moment and attack my stronger foes. The werewolves and currently jostling and shoving one another in an attempt to surround me. I choose one randomly and drive my sword into his fatty shoulder. Blood spurts and the werewolf howls in pain as my blade digs into him. That's when all of them attack. The wolf clamps down on my ankle and holds me still as his three fellows begin snapping and clawing at me. The one on my right bites into my arm and begins shaking his head; the werewolf to my left begins swinging his clawed hands at my side; and the wounded one tries to grab my midsection.

I wrestle my sword into a stabbing position, then strike out at the wounded one. My blade goes in his chest and he goes down. Unfortunately, it's too late to really help anything. The regular wolf wrestles me to the ground and a werewolf pounces onto my stomach. I see his clawed hands raise into the air and a roar come to his lips. Then, an arrow sinks deep into his chest and the beast tumbles off of me. I kick out and _snap_ the normal wolf's neck before rising to face my last opponent. The werewolf leaps and tries to pin me to the ground. I raise my sword and allow the creature to impale itself on my blade.

The monster lets out a single loud roar before falling to the ground. I smirk and look up at my fellows who are still fighting. The rest of my team is still swarmed with enemies (excluding Leliana). I shake some blood off of my blade and begin charging the nearest werewolf. Hopefully, this fight goes similar to the last one.

* * *

 **Note: Sorry about the wait, but begin to expect it. Some personal stuff is currently happening.**


	13. Leliana's Past

We're all busted up from the battle with the werewolves, but none of us go down or get too injured. A few grumbles and a single healing pollute are all it takes before everyone's back to their 'normal'. I begin leading us deeper into the forest, but someone comes up beside me and gets my attention. I turn my head and see Leliana smiling at me. I smile back and turn away from her, but a 'tsk' from the human gets my attention again. Morrign and Duncan have fallen back for some reason unknown to me. However, Leliana quickly tells me why.

"I need to tell you something.". I eye her a little, but nod as we go downwards into the woods.

"I need to tell you why I left Orlais.". We reach a fork in the road and I briefly stop to make a decision. I can hear some werewolves moving around to the path to our left, but the road is level. The right path goes even farther downwards. The only upside of the right path is that I don't hear anything moving around. I begin heading downwards and Leliana keeps talking to me about her past. I'm interested in the woman; it's just that I'm also interested in saving the Dalish from the werewolves. I'm 'talented' enough to hear her story and walk at the same time.

"I know I haven't told you, but I didn't want to talk about it before. What happened to me... maybe it'll affect us, maybe not, but you need to know.". We reach the bottom of the slope and we're forced into a small gully with thick trees growing on either side. Suddenly, Leliana moves in front of me and blocks my path. I stop and allow it for the second. It's clear her conversation means a lot to her, so I might as well take a few minutes to hear what the woman has to say.

Besides, she's finally following me wishes. She isn't touching me without my permission anymore. Leliana seems pleased that I've stopped because she smiles and falls into a more relaxed position. Morrigan and Duncan begin following us downwards, but I motion for them to go back up. Both of them seem to sigh as they climb upwards to wait for us. Finally, I can turn all of my attention to Leliana and what she has to say.

"I came to Ferelden and the Chantry because I was being hunted, in Orlais.". Huh, that doesn't sound good. Being 'hunted' for something generally means you've done something wrong or you're a criminal. I might as well ask Leliana and see what she did to get people chasing her so far away from her home.

"Hunter? For what?". Leliana avoids my eyes as she answers.

"I was framed, betrayed by someone I thought I knew and could trust. Marjolaine- she was my master... and friend.". The woman briefly stops to take a deep breath, but I don't interrupt her. Thankfully, I was right not to do so because she quickly keeps talking and looks me in the eyes.

"She taught me the bardic arts- how to enchant with words and song, to carry myself like a high-born lady, to blend in as a servant...". Another sigh as she briefly breaks eye contact to look at the floor.

"The skills I learned I used to serve her, my bard-master, because I loved her, and because I enjoyed what I did.". Leliana stops talking and looks at me. I can practically see the trust and hopefulness in her posture and eyes. She wants me to be accepting and forgiving of her, but so far she's done nothing that needs to be forgiven. That bodes poorly for me because it means she's done something she's ashamed of. I just need to keep talking to her and see what's going on.

"How did she betray you?". Leliana briefly flinches before explaining the situation to me even more.

"You can say it was my fault. There was a man I was sent to kill. I was to bring Marjolaine everything he carried. I don't know who this man was. She gave me a name and a description, and I hunted him down. I found documents on his body- sealed documents.". I can already tell this isn't going to go well. Sealed documents are hardly anything as mundane as a shopping list. Well, I might as well ask and see how important the sealed documents were.

"I take it these sealed documents were important?". Leliana nods in confirmation.

"It turns out they were. My curiosity got the better of me. Something told me I needed to know what was inside those letters.". Even more hurt seems to cross the bard's face before she continues speaking.

"Marjolaine... had been selling all kinds of information about Orlais to other countries- Nevarra and Antiva, among others. It was treason.". Okay, now I'm confused. I thought bards were meant to go and steal information. I voice my opinion to Leliana.

"Isn't that what bards are suppose to do?". Leliana shakes her head.

"Some. But I had always assumed Marjolaine only operated within Orlais. This was an unhappy surprise for me. My life as a bard taught me my loyalties should be fluid. My concern was not that she was a traitor, but that her life would be in danger if she was found out. Orlais has been to war with so many countries. It takes a harsh view of such things... as I later discovered.". I cock my head to the side and step closer to the woman.

Turns out the innocent Chantry sister has a rather interesting background. One I want to know more about. Not because of my small attraction to her, but because it's always good to know who you're traveling with. Yes, that's it. Just because it's good to know who you're traveling with. I finally question Leliana.

"What do you mean 'later discovered'?". A small break of eye contact from Leliana before she continues looking at me and talking to me.

"I should have left well alone, but I didn't. I had to tell Marjolaine I feared for her life. She brushed aside my concerns. She admitted her guilt, but said it was in the past. This is why the documents had to be destroyed, she said.". A deep sigh and a shake of the head.

"I believe her. I kept believing, up until the moment they showed me the documents, altered by her hand to make me look the traitor.". That sounds like an awful thing to go through, even if the woman is a shem. To be betrayed by someone you love. And, to be betrayed so deeply that your own country believes you to be a traitor to the crown. Losing love and country in one fell swoop. _That must have been a nightmare for her._ I can't imagine losing my family (the people I love the most) and being banished from Ferelden all in one day. Maybe Leliana wasn't betrayed by Marjolaine. Maybe someone else betrayed them both and Leliana's master just went along with it to save her own skin. It's still terrible and doesn't sound possible, but it'd be a small consolation. Maybe I can ask just to make sure. I'd hate to assume the worst of Marjolaine before knowing the full story.

"She betrayed you?". Leliana's been avoiding my eyes for a while, but now she dips her head. It takes her a few seconds, but eventually she raises her head back up and keeps speaking with me about her past and what's made her who she is.

"Yes. The Orlesion guards. They captured me... did terrible things to make me confess and reveal my conspirators. It was a traitor's punishment I endured, and at the end of it, all that awaited me was eternity in an unmarked grave.". I try to imagine someone doing that to me, but the closest experience I've had to that is the day of my wedding. I tore through the entire palace and didn't come home until I was soaked in blood. Leliana might not have had that option, but she eventually got free. If I'd been in her place, then I'd have hunted Marjolaine down and ripped her to shreds.

"You never sought revenge on Marjolaine?". Leliana shakes her head.

"No. Survival was my only concern at the time. The skills Marjolaine taught me were good for something, at least. I broke free when I saw the opportunity. I did not seek Marjolaine out. If she thought I was coming for her, she would have me captured again.". I manage to fill in the blanks and decide to tell the next part for her.

"So you came to Ferelden. To Lothering.". A nod from Leliana as she keeps telling me her story.

"I was tempted to confront her, I was furious, betrayed, but what could I do against her?". Yet another small sigh and break from conversation. I consider talking, but Leliana beats me to it by continuing.

"And so I fled, to Ferelden, to the Chantry and the Maker. Ferelden protected my person, and the Maker saved my soul.". I'm not religious in the slightest and I don't want to even talk about the Maker, but I remain silent. It's clear religion plays a big part of Leliana's life and I don't want to offend her. Just because I don't agree with someone doesn't mean I have to be an asshole about it every single time someone says a word about the topic. My silence is rewarded by Leliana finishing up her tale.

"And that is the reason I am here. The real reason. No more lies between us, at least in this.". For a few seconds silence goes between us. I like learning about Leliana. I'm upset she lied to me, but the anger inside of me is cowed because of the fact Leiana is a woman; she's an attractive woman that I like; and that she's proven herself a true friend in a fight and in conversation. I suppose I can overlook her mistakes since she's been honest in so many areas, and now her lies are gone and she's forced to be an honest person fully. So, I might as well be kind to her in the hopes of getting some 'friendship points' in between us.

"Thank you for trusting me with all of this. It means a lot to me.". Leliana smiles and goes to hug me, but she freezes quickly before she can touch me. Leliana goes back into a normal position and says some final words.

"It feels good to have this off of my chest. Thank you for listening, and understanding.". I nod, turn around, and begin walking up the path. Leliana clearing her throat stops me. I turn back around and look at the human. She smiles sheepishly and motions for me to come back to her. I internally sigh at how much time we're wasting, then go back down.

"I was just wondering... Where are you from? What makes you who you are? What brought you to the Grey Wardens?". I close my eyes as I remember my life before. Long nights spent stalking the streets for shem to rid the world of; clutching my dying mother in my arms as I watch the life leave her eyes; and a burning hatred for humans that is smoldering even now and manifests itself in not being able to withstand shem talking down to me.

"I think that's a story for another time. For camp.". Leliana's face seems to fall, but she nods and doesn't push it. _Good. Now we can get back to work._


	14. Ancient Oaks

**Sorry for the obvious misspellings and the fact i didn't get a chance to proof-read this. I'm rushing and honestly a thousand different things are taking my attention away right now. Honestly, start expecting only weekly updates instead of the 'few days' I've done in the past. In fact, start expecting 'Denerim's Shadow to get updated after 'The Last Dragon' (my other work). Anyway, I'm sorry but I'm trying my best. If anything big stands out, then PM or review me about it and I'll fix it. Either way, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

I find Morrigan and Duncan waiting for us atop the hill. Both of them silently arise when they see us and rejoin the group. I quickly take the lead once again and lead us back down into the cramped, tiny gully. We've barely entered it when we pass the spot where Leliana and I were talking, and multiple trees up ahead burst to life and begin charging us. I draw my blade and grab Duncan by the collar as we both charge into battle. Instantly, I regret my decision. The living tree slams its 'hands' into the ground and a wooden cage of tangled branches erupts around me and my Duncan. Tiny limbs work their way around me and completely immobilize me.

I can't even twitch my hands or feet. Likewise, Duncan can only whimper as he's frozen in his leaping motion. My vision is obscured by the tree's branches around me, but I can hear the battle going on. Roars of rage from the tree monsters; cursing from Morrigan as her spells fire off; and Leliana screaming something that I can't hear because of my trap. I briefly try to turn my sore and exhausted body around and free myself from the wood; however, it quickly becomes apparent that nothing I do is going to make any difference. So, for once I'm forced to sit back and simply allow the fight to go on without me assisting my team at all. Surprisingly, Morrigan and Leliana hold their own.

The witch's fire spells catch the creatures alight while Leliana's arrows split their 'flesh' and leaves. It takes them longer than it would me and Duncan, but eventually the rogue and mage bring the creatures down. Duncan and I collapse to the ground as our prison dissolves around us. Morrigan and Leliana make their way over to us as Duncan and I peel ourselves off of the ground. Morrigan is the only one who speaks about the incident, and it's only to offer another snide remark.

"Did you two have fun while the adults handled the trees?". Duncan offers a small growl at Morrigan, but I remain silent. Offending a powerful witch isn't smart. Even if she is kind of bitchy. Instead, I ignore the woman and begin walking along the path. The gully slowly opens up into a large field that's surrounded on one side by a cliff shooting upwards, a steep drop on the other side, and a small hill that leads somewhere else on the final side. I look around the clearing and see a single, white tree standing in the middle of the place right before the hill beings leading upwards.

I consider heading backwards, then decide to investigate the white tree after a moment of thought. If it's alive I'll kill it, if it's dead I'll loot it, and if it has a quest for me I'll ignore it. I'm a few feet away from the white tree when it shutters and slowly unravels itself to show its true form.

The gigantic monster has red leaves and ivory colored limbs. The creature cocks its head and its mouth seems to stretch into a hideous mockery of a smile. Then, it kneels down and stretches one tremendous, clawed hand out to me. I pull out my sword and fall into a fighting position. Just in case. Finally, a deep voice rings out from the tree's chest.

"Who-". I swing my sword with all of my might and _snick_ the monster's hand off of his arm. Thick, red sap begins spewing from the abomination's arm and he screams in his version of pain. A large plume of fire shoots over the tree and catches his leaves ablaze. Arrows rain down, fire continue to burn, Duncan sinks his fangs into the monster's ankle, and I swing my sword once again. More sap flows and the creature attempts to trap all of us in another prison of wood.

Duncan is standing behind him; Morrigan and Leliana rush backwards; and I rush in between the monster's legs. I give my sword a third swing and _crack_ it deep into the enemy's leg. More of the tree's 'blood' splatters me and stains the metal of my blade. Thankfully, my blow brings the creature to his knees. I look upwards and give the monster one final look. His red leaves have given way to a fiery halo; his ivory flesh is stained with scarlet sap; and his intelligent face is twisted in agony.

I tear my sword from his leg, pull it upwards, and thrust my weapon upwards. The tip of my sword pushes into the tree's neck and a tsunami of red comes raining down upon me. A gurgling sound comes from above me, then the _thud_ of a tremendous body hitting the ground. Slowly, I bring my sword down and look at the damage. The mutilated tree is barely worthy of being called 'chopped firewood'. I flick the sap off my sword before putting it up, then calmly walk over to Duncan.

"Can you do something about this mess?". Duncan comes forward a little, sniffs the sap, and gags. I sigh and look back at the 'body' of the enemy.

"Figures.". I walk over to the ivory pile and begin searching through it. I can't find anything of use, so I walk away. I look over my group to see how everyone's doing after the fight. Duncan is on top of the hill peeing; Leliana is idly twirling her bow in her hand; and Morrigan is busy sneering at the gigantic white tree's corpse in disdain. I whistle for Duncan to come to me, then begin walking back up the gully. Thankfully, nobody says anything about that entire encounter being a waste. None of us died, but we didn't get anything out of the encounter. We reach the fork in the path again, but I take the other path this time. Oddly, the path splits off a second time before we reach where I'm certain the werewolves are.

One lads straight and the other leads to the wolves. Obviously, I choose the path that doesn't lead to the snarling enemies. That's what makes it ironic when we run into a battle anyway. A single regular tree is standing by the banks and bursts to life as we pass it. A quick crack to the knee from me, fireball from Morrigan, and a few arrows from Leliana are all it takes to bring the monster down. Duncan doesn't even get to sink his teeth into it before the wood falls. I nod in satisfaction, then continue on into the deeper part of the forest. A halla stands to our side and cocks his head as we pass. _Too bad the halla don't let city elves ride them, or else I'd be able to get to Denerim within a day._

I'm still imagining myself riding atop a Dalishs' Halla when my team gets ambushed. Four regular werewolves surround us and begin attacking. Leliana is the one who's wounded the worst. A werewolf grabs her as she's loading her bow, then slams her to the ground and begins mauling her. Another werewolf is reaching for me, but I ignore him and instead go to help Leliana. I hop onto the monster's back before placing the edge of my sword against his neck. The wolf releases Leliana's bleeding face and begins reaching his clawed hands for me. I pull my blade tightly in and watch the werewolf's crimson life flow out of him.

Morrigan, meanwhile, has burned another one to death while Duncan's torn one's throat out. I smile at my team as I step off of the dead wolf and see the final one try to run. Quickly, Leliana heaves herself up and fires a single arrow after it. The werewolf yelps as it spins around in the air and slides to a stop, dead as the rest of his companions. I smirk and allow everyone to gather together. Leliana wipes her face off and the wounds aren't too serious, so we're free to continue traveling like we'd normally do. However, the clearing leads to a small path that is blocked by a single prone werewolf.

The monster is on its knees and panting as hard as it possibly can. I pull my sword out without hesitation and cleaning slice its neck open as we walk by. I'm not sure what game the werewolf was playing at, but I wasn't about to fall for it. The path we're on takes us through a winding, twisting route that eventually leads to abandoned ruins. Well, almost abandoned. An Ogre, three Hurlocks, and a Genlock are gathered in the ruins. The Ogre's the first to see us and raises the alarm. Both sides quickly rush at one another, but my mind has enough time to wanders as I run to meet the creatures. _This isn't good. If the Darkspawn are this far up on the map, then there's no telling where the rest of the horde could be waiting._

My thoughts are stopped when the Ogre finally reaches us. The tremendous Darkspawn raises his feet and begins stomping around the battlefield. Suddenly, I'm reminded of how exhausted and worn out i am. My muscles ache; my head is pounding; I'm struggling to breathe; and I just want to lie down and sleep for a hundred years. The only thing that keeps me going is the fact that if I stop, then I'll never get the chance to talk with Leliana at camp or escape the Blight and return home. Even with those thoughts keeping me going, I find my swings slow and sluggish. I barely even manage to dent the Ogre's leg at all.

Even Duncan's teeth seem to be doing more damage. A gigantic, rough hand suddenly wraps around me and I feel myself being lifted into the air. I see the piggish, squished face of the Ogre block out my entire vision. For a brief second, the Darkspawn and I look into each other's eyes. I see hatred, anger, and a cruelness I've never seen before. No compassion, intelligence, or concern for its own well-being is present. Truly, this creature deserves whatever death the Maker (if there even is one) decides to bestow upon him. That's when the Ogre lifts a meaty fist into the air and brings it backwards behind his head. _Well, shit._ I close my eyes and wait for the huge sack of meaty flesh to crush my face in.

Screaming and a lone howl reach my ears, then the unbearable pain of having my face crushed reaches me. I try to turn and twist and pull, but nothing works to free me. All I can do is turn my head to the side. Another crushing feeling as my bones break and blood begins to stream down my face. My sword falls from my grasp as more screams reach my ears. I barely manage to peel my eyes open before I see another blow reach my face. Then, darkness.


	15. Mother

It's freezing and dark when I finally manage to open my eyes. I almost instantly slam them back shut. It's not because of anything particularly bad, but I'm still not ready for what I see. A voice rings out and I cringe in remembrance.

"Kailian? Are you awake yet?". I shudder and peel my eyes open. _This isn't real. This can't be real. It's just a damned memory. Any second someone will wake you up and you'll be back with your team._ My thoughts don't comfort me in the slightest at where I am and who I see. I'm currently lying in bed with my blankets wrapped around me back in Denerim. My mother is standing at the side of my bed with a confused look on her face. Her dark skin and knotted ebony hair are covered in dirt; her dented sword is dangling by her side; and her sparkling eyes are squinted in concern. My heart aches as my chest tightens.

It's been years since my mother died and I'm still not over it. There'll be times when I think of something and think 'I should tell mom that the next-', then reality sets in and I'm left with a cold space in my chest. I even have a tattoo of her name on my leg; although, I've never shown it to anyone. My father would have a fit if he ever knew. My fake mother reaches out and pushes some of my hair behind my pointed ear. For a brief moment I long to lean into her touch and accept it.

It's been so long since I've allowed anyone to gently cup my face or do anything remotely loving with me, so my thirst is made even greater. I'd like nothing more than to allow my mother to hug me tight and keep me close, but I can't. My dream mother's fingers are cold and wet like they were the day she perished. No warmth or comfort is allowed to radiate from them. I sigh and try to close my eyes. That's when the dream version of mom begins yanking me out of bed. I quickly dig my heels into the mattress and grab onto the blankets. My mother is wearing leather armor and a necklace I made her when I was a child, so I know what day this is.

This is the day my family became shattered and I watched my own parent bleed to death in some gutter. I was already forced once to feel her blood running through my fingers and staining my shirt; I won't go through it again. My chest and throat become tense as my entire body begins to shake and become hot. _Never again_. My heels and fingers are torn from the bed as my mother begins yanking me out of the house. I begin screaming, kicking, clawing, and doing anything I can to force my mother to let me go. She doesn't relent and instead begins driving us through the Alienage. As we go I try not to remember the entire reason all of this was set into motion. Unfortunately, it all keeps replaying itself again and again and again.

The entire city around me is dark and gloomy, not unlike the actual day was. Every elf we pass has slumped shoulders and a grimace on their face. Open wounds and amputations are forced to fester in this rotten town's filth. My mother is continuing to yank me along the street to our destination. I've stopped fighting at this point. I'm going to have to watch my mother's death again anyway, so I might as well go quietly. Without me fighting we reach the building fairly quickly. My mother and I step inside with our swords lose in their scabbards and our armor strapped on tight.

The dingy room has a single table a woman is sitting behind, three seats pushed up against a wall, and two doors. The woman looks up, then nods to us. Two other people are already sitting down, so I'm forced to stand while my mother sits in the only unoccupied seat. In reality I threw a fit and pouted until my mother gave me the seat. In my dream I shut my mouth and allow my mom to have her last few living minutes in comfort. The door we didn't come in from opens and an elven man steps out. His left arm is cut off at the elbow and a bloody rag is hastily wrapped around the stump. The man stumbles out of the building without closing the door that leads only into darkness. A dry voice sounds from within.

"Next in line, please.".

An elderly man with a bundled baby in his arms pushes himself up, then disappears into the room. I shake my head and my mother spits on the floor. It only lasts a few seconds, then the man runs out of the room and out of the building.

"Next.". The final woman gets up with a large sack in her hands and closes the room's door behind her. I sit down beside my mother and wait while my heart clenches itself. I know what's waiting for us, and I know how things turn out. Nothing I can do can change it, but I'll sure as fuck try. I'm not letting my mother suffer her fate a second time. The woman comes hobbling out and it's our turn. I walk in first with my mother behind me. The darkened room we're in has a single desk in it. A tall, thin human is sitting behind it. He's scribbling down numbers and weighing the sack he's been given. The human 'tsks' and tosses the sack to the side, then motions us forward.

"Well, what have you got for me?". My mother pulls out her blade and places it on the table. The man calmly looks up at us, sighs, and gives us a single warning.

"Produce what I want, or things will end very, _very_ badly for the both of you.". I shake my head and my mom seconds my defiance.

"Never.". The human sighs and snaps his fingers. Five bodyguards rush from the corners of the room and leap at us.

The battle that follows lasts less than five seconds. My blade cleaves through one man's head and impales the other through his chest. My mother easily kills two in one slice and decapitates the last. The man sighs and leans back in his chair.

"Very well. What is it you two desire?". I carefully walk backwards and block off the only door. I'd be a shame if we have to kill him or his receptionist. Well, it'd be a hassle to clean up. My mom stalks forward and sinks her blade into the shem's desk.

"Stop your entire operation, or we won't be as forgiving next time.". The shem glares and opens his mouth to speak, but my mother talks over him.

"It's not negotiable and it's not a question. You'll stop your business and leave town tonight. If you don't, then tomorrow we'll come back for your head.". She takes the blade out of the desk and begins walking towards me.

"I'd suggest you get started.". The man is (wisely) silent as my mother and I leave. The receptionist looks at us, sees the blood covering us, and opens her mouth to scream. One stroke from me slits her throat from ear to ear. As we open the door to leave I yell some advice to the man in the other room.

"Look for a receptionist with thicker skin next time!". I cackle at my own joke as I jog to catch up with my mother. Finally, we're free to talk.

A freezing arm is wrapped around me and my mother smiles.

"Good work.". I nod at her and offer my warmest smile. _It's a damned dream. Don't start getting too attached. You know what happens next._ Indeed, I already see the alley we'll be ambushed from up ahead. We should have killed that bastard the second he was defenseless, but instead we let him live. That was our biggest mistake. Powerful shem don't take too kindly to getting their lives threatened, and two dead elves is a small price to pay for the assured safety of a human. I take out my blade a little earlier than usual to save time in the upcoming attack. My pretend mother gently lies her head down on my shoulder. I gasp and feel wetness coming to my eyes. My chest and throat both begin to ache as my mother says her final full sentence.

"I love you.". I take a deep breath and mimic what I did the night of the attack.

"I love y-". The gigantic war hammer hits both of us in one blow; lifts us off of our feet; and flings us into the alley to our left. My mother _cracks_ her head against the stone wall of the alleyway and I slam my shoulder into cold stone. Instantly, both of us are struggling to get up and untangle ourselves from one another. We're far too slow. The woman charges us and raises her hammer for a blow aimed at me.

The curved part of her weapon is aimed directly for my chest as she brings it down. _You should have died. It should have been you who got impaled on her hammer. Everyone knows you're of less use to your people. You'll never be half the woman your mother was. Just a replacement that everyone's stuck with. You can't even be a Grey Warden right; you got your face smashed in by an Ogre! What Warden does that?!_ I'm openly sobbing as my mom throws herself on top of me and the hammer sinks its pointed end into her back.

I try to close my eyes for the next part, but I can't. I'm forced to watch my mother's dying expression once again. Her wide eyes rolling around in her skull; blood begin to leak from her lips; and her skin losing its color. The hammer-wielding woman hits my mother another three times. During the entire thing (in both reality and the dream) I laid still. I should have gotten up and fought, but I was too much of a coward. I just lied there and thought ' _If I'm still, then she'll think I'm dead_.'. It didn't work. The warrior peeled my dying mother off of me and tossed her to the side like she was garbage. That's when she began extracting payment from me. I only started reacting and fighting back when I felt her fingers beginning to undo my leather armor.

I'm sure someone heard my screams for help, but in the Alienage screams for help aren't uncommon and the safest thing to do is to ignore them. I'm shaking and my strength has fled me as my armor is removed. Then, the woman forces me to lie on my stomach and puts her knees around me to stop any escape. My dying mother is only a few feet away from me, but I can't reach her. Instead, I'm involuntarily held to the ground as my breast-bindings are removed. Finally, I feel the familiar touch of a freezing blade against my back. The warrior carefully places an empty scale in front of me before speaking.

"Two pounds of flesh is the price for the dead.". In reality I fought through the entire thing, but now I simply lie there. No point in tiring myself out. The only mercy is the blade can't hurt me because it isn't actually happening; however, there's still another horror to endure. I see the woman put long, bloody strips of my own flesh into the scale. Chunks of meat and handfuls of skin quickly turn the bronze scale into a bloody mess.

My entire back is stripped of skin and a decent amount of meat before the woman stops. Then, a healing poultice is forced down my throat. The warrior takes her scale (along with parts of me) and leaves the alley. Now all that's left is my mother. I try to crawl over her like I did in reality. To comfort her and have her clutch my face as she whispers 'Ir abelas. I lo-' and passes on. I'm almost there when I begin waking up.

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 **Note:**

 **Ir abelas: I'm sorry.**

 **Yeah, we're finally getting into the backstory and deviance from the game. Anyway, I'm considering doing something. Instead of writing every fight scene and every small detail, I'm considering skipping the smaller battles and 'exploring' parts in favor of skipping to important scenes. So, instead of hearing about every wolf that's killed I'd skip to the fight with Swiftrunner. And, instead of hearing about every Darkspawn in the Deep Roads I'd skip to a camping scene where they're resting in a deeper section of the Deep Roads.**

 **I'd keep important battles or battles where the characters get a new weapon or armor, but I'd skip tiny ones. It's just something I'm toying with, but it'll most likely become reality. I just don't want this story to be 200+ chapters and half of them are just tiny battles. Next chapter should either be different or the same, and every other chapter will follow its lead.**


	16. Witherfang

The first sight that awaits me when I regain consciousness is Leliana'as worried face. I squint a little and try to find out what's going on. Leliana's eyes widen and her mouth moves to make words. A loud, buzzing noise in my ears blocks out all other noise and I can't tell what the rogue is saying to me. Then, Morrigan's face obscures my view. Her shrill voice manages to break through my cloud.

" _Are you alive_?!". I cringe and hear a moan pass my lips. Morrigan's rough, cold hand smacks around my face. Hot, burning strings of magic work their way across my face. Intense pain causes me to jerk and twist, but I can't release myself. Instead, I'm forced to stay still as Morrigan heals me. It seems to take an eternity, but eventually Morrigan removes her hand and face. The buzzing is completely gone and I'm now back to 'normal'. 'Normal' happens to include extremely exhausted.

I heave myself up and look around. Dead darkspawn, my team is with me, and a mild throbbing in my face. I doubt the day is going to get any better, so I fling a useless arm up and begin exiting the clearing. We've barely gone anywhere when we stop in another clearing with someone's camp. An elderly man is sitting down and a tree stump is right in front of me. I don't know why, but I'm tempted to stick my hand in the stump. I've barely taken out an acorn when the man screams and charges.

* * *

 **Three Hours Later:**

I have a useless acorn and a tree's branch in my pocket. Thankfully, both of those proved useful later on (after we'd dealt with the insane man who attacked us). My team and I tore our way through the forest before finally reaching a wall of fog. Apparently, my acorn and/or branch allowed me to walk through it. That, or it just disappeared to vanish for some reason. I doubt that though. The werewolves that awaited us on the other side seemed shocked to see us, then attacked. I'd almost slain Swiftrunner when Witherfang revealed himself. The great white wolf tackled me before leading his followers in a desperate retreat.

I'd wanted to follow them deep into the forest's ruins where they hid; however, Morrigan and Leliana talked some sense into me. By that time I was struggling just to walk and everyone was tired. Now we're camped outside the ruins with someone constantly on guard. Unfortunately, it's currently my turn to stay guard. For the entire night. Morrigan somehow disappeared when it was her turn to stand watch. Now I'm stuck sitting here and forced to watch a dying fire. My patience is almost up when someone sits down beside me. I look over and see Leliana's sat down with me. I look at her and nod. The woman nods back and tries to start making conversation.

"The stars are out tonight.".

I look upwards and see the clear, dark sky winking at me with a thousand lights. On any other night I'd consider it beautiful. Right now I'm just tired and so worn out it's not even funny. The only reason I answer is because I don't want to leave the woman waiting.

"For once, a clear night.". Leliana scoots a little closer to me and keeps looking at the stars.

"I know a story about the stars. Care to hear them?". I nod and she tells me her story, but I can tell it's condensed.

"There was once a lonely woman who refused to marry, so her father-the king- locked her away in a tower. She was so upset she sang all day and all night in the hopes someone would hear. Finally, her song was heard. A lowly soldier hear her song and went to her. The two fell in love, but it wasn't meant to be. The woman's father sent the soldier to war. When the woman got note that he had perished, then she wept so furiously the gods themselves heard. They lifted her and her lover into the sky with universes parting them. Each star is one of the woman's tears. When she's cried enough, then she'll be reunited with her love.". I look up at the sky and try to think about the story I've just been told. I eventually decide on how to react to Leliana's story.

"I don't think I'll ever look at the stars in the same way ever again.". Silence follows for a few minutes before Leliana begins a new conversation.

"Was it terrible living in the Alienage?". I nod and the woman keeps going.

"In Orlais, elven servants were prized. They were considered excellent at their jobs, and many found them pleasing to the eye.". My skin bristles at her comment. Before my mother died, I'd lain with quite a few shem. Well, 'lain' is the wrong term. It was never sexual enough to be called that, but it was still 'romantic'. The reason it was never sexual is because of the shem themselves. I always found out sooner or later that they yearned for me purely because I was an elf. Fetishizing me because of my race isn't uncommon and it strokes a particular flame of hatred in my heart. Leliana doesn't notice and keeps talking.

"I'm certain you would have been loved in Orlais. You're pleasing to the eye and I'm certain some woman would love paying you to show off at balls.". That sounds extremely offensive and hurtful. Like Leliana's whittling my entire personality down to 'elf'. I decided to go with cutting sarcasm in order to show Leliana that what she's saying is offensive.

"So I should sell myself to some Orlesion woman like I'm a prized animal?". I turn and see Leliana's entire face turning red. I'm certain she was trying to pay me a compliment, but she needs to know.

"No! I just meant that-". A deep sigh.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking.". I nod and give her a single warning.

"I'm more than just an elf- I'm a person. Remember that.". Usually I'm not as forgiving of shem, but usually they don't have good intentions like Leliana. The woman even tries to save the conversation by giving me another compliment.

"I... have I ever told you I really like the way you wear your hair?". I stroke the dying fire.

"It's just hair.". Leliana begins struggling to revive the conversation a little after my blunt response.

"In Orlais, hair was always grand and huge for the balls. One year a woman came with live birds tied to her hair. The chirping was quite nice, but frightened birds have loose bowels.". I chuckle a little and shake my head at the sheer craziness some people will go through. Leliana shares my laugh before apologizing.

"I'm sorry my conversation is all over the place tonight. I tend to ramble when I'm around friends.". I shrug and tell her my honest opinion.

"I don't mind. I actually enjoy the company of rambling women.". Leliana smiles and scoots close enough that our legs are touching. I take a deep breath and hold it. I look into Leliana's eyes and see sheer terror at what she's done. I slowly release my breath.

"This is fine. Small steps. Just small, small steps.". Leliana offers me a wide smile and tries to keep the conversation going. Honestly, I think she's trying to take my mind off of the fact she's touching me.

"I rather enjoy the company of women such as yourself.". I attempt a funny/sarcastic approach.

"Do you often enjoy the company of women?". Leliana takes my question at face value.

"What if I said I did?". My guts and chest begin tightening. I've only had 'sex' (if that's what she wants to call it) once, and it was with a whore. I ended up not being able to do it. Instead, I screamed at her and curled in on myself. I know I like women, but I'm not sure if I could ever _be_ with one. Leliana's leg touching mine reminds me that she isn't like the shem whore. She won't punch and beat me when things go sour. I don't know too much about her; however, I still think it's safe to assume she won't knowingly (at least physically) hurt me. So, I take a deep breath and say something that isn't too risky or sexual.

"I'd be honored that you enjoy my company, then.". Leliana sighs and seems to enjoy my response. She even opens her mouth to say something else when we're ambushed. _Shit. Should have been paying more attention and actually guarding._

* * *

When the dust is finally settled something else is wrong. The men sent to kill us were sent by Leliana's old mistress and teacher. Seems like not even hundreds of miles of distance can kill a feud. And, the light is beginning to rise over the horizon. It means that soon we'll be forced to attack the werewolves' lair or risk being ambushed again. Thankfully, everyone seems well enough. Morrigan is currently transformed into a bear and Duncan is completely fine. Leliana is complaining of a sore shoulder and I'm aching, but we'll survive and can most likely go and fight. Currently though, I'm talking to Leliana.

"Do you want to go after her?". One of the men told us (before we killed him) that he'd been hired by a woman (now we know it's Leliana's teacher) in Denerim. Now it's up to Leliana to decide if we go and pay her a visit. The woman quickly makes up her mind and nods.

"We'll need to pay her a visit, but after we're done helping the elves take care of their werewolf problem.". I nod and begin walking towards the ruin. Everyone else follows me. If we're lucky (which I doubt we are), then all of this will be over before dinner. Sadly, I wouldn't count on our luck. Ever.

* * *

 **Note: Sorry, but expect extreme delays. Now 'Denerim's Shadow' will only be updated on Saturday. It might have more content or be longer, but I don't know that yet. I want to focus on 'The Last Dragon' and get that taken care of. Sorry. Things are just busy and need taken care of.**


	17. Breaking Away

**Note: Sorry for the mispelled words and the like. I wasn't able to read this because I was rushing.**

* * *

 **Two Hours Later**

By the time we reach the end of the werewolves' lair all of us are beaten up and exhausted. Leliana has scrapes lining her back; a deep puncture wound in her shoulder; and a tooth lodged into he meat of her arm. Morrigan has a twisted ankle; a banged up arm; and a few fingers jammed into their sockets. Duncan is heavily limping; has a deep bite mark in his hip; and is missing a tooth. My own wounds consist of a deep gouge in my neck; a blacked eye; and a broken nose. Every single one of us has been knocked out at least once and I only had a single healing pack, so it went to Leliana because she was the first to go down.

Duncan has a wrenched hind leg; Morrigan has concussion and is deafened; and I have a constantly bleeding wound, crushed arm, and torn jugular. Now all of us are resting outside the last door into the werewolves' lair. A few of them tried to parlay with us, but my sword quickly ended that. I'd attempted to open the door, but now my wounds are causing me severe pain. I gingerly bring my hand up and touch my heavily bruised neck. Morrigan chuckles while leaning against her staff.

"Looks like one of us has been going down more than the others.". I offer her a weak snarl while clinging to my swelling neck.

"One of us is a warrior who's been fighting in close combat instead of from a distance.". Morrigan glares and scoffs, then falls silent. I remove my hand from my neck and try to push myself off of the ground. I'm about halfway up when I find myself back on my ass on the unforgiving ground. I try to push myself up again, and this time Leliana grabs my hands and heaves me up. I briefly rest my wet forehead against her shoulder and whisper my thanks into her ear. The rogue pats my back and whispers sweet encouragements back to me.

"It'll be fine. One more battle, then the Dalish are saved. Just take a deep breath and keep going.". Her words don't rouse me like they once do; however, I don't say anything like that to her. Instead, I manage to heave myself off of the woman and mumble words I'm sure she can't hear. Leliana doesn't question me and allows me to get on with everything. I walk over to the door and push it open as quickly as I can. Inside is something that causes me to deeply sigh in exhaustion.

About ten werewolves are surrounding a shrine with a demon standing on it. The demon is in the form of a beautiful woman that's naked. Her flesh is green and branches are growing around her body, and a few thin twigs barely cover her indecent parts. I draw my sword, but it feels too heavy in my hands. My arms even shake as I walk towards the demon. The woman perks up and begins walking down to me.

The woman waves and offers a smile. However, Swiftrunner comes up behind her and offers me a growl. I heave my sword onto my shoulder and prepare to swing it with all of my remaining strength. The demon and Swiftrunner both stop a few feet away from me. Instantly, Swiftrunner tells me what he thinks of me by turning to the demon and speaking.

"Lady! This elf killed my brethren! We need to eliminate her!". The demon shakes her head and ignores the werewolf. Instead, she focuses on me.

"I see that the Dalish have enlisted you to do their bidding. However, there's another side to this story.". A deep, aching throbbing is settling into the back of my skull. I nee to get out of here. I need to leave and get my wounds taken care of.

"The Dalish-". I heave my sword up and bring it down onto the demon. The woman throws her head back and screams in agony. My metal weapon slices through her shoulder and lodges itself into her chest. Thick, black blood spews from the demon and covers everyone close to her. The creature reaches up and tries to remove my sword. I remove it for her, then bring it down again on the same wound. Now my sword sinks into her body further and goes all the to her opposite hip. Now a thick puddle of her own blood is surrounding the woman's feet.

I rip my sword from her a second time and watch her lifeless body fall to the ground. Automatically, the werewolves surround me. Morrigan and Leliana both scream and curse my name as they run as quickly as they can back to the entrance of the room. Duncan lets out a long, low howl that briefly stuns all of the werewolves surrounding me besides Swiftrunner. I use my sword as a blunt weapon while spinning around in a circle. Nine werewolves fall to the ground and Swiftrunner is briefly knocked back a few feet. Then, Duncan bites into the wolf's leg and begins yanking on it.

Swiftrunner screams and tries to twist around in an attempt to dislodge my dog. I take his lack of concentration and use it to my advantage. I swing my sword with all of my might and find it going deep into Swiftrunner's leg. The wolf howls and drops to the ground. Duncan releases his leg, then hops onto the werewolf's back. Now Swiftrunner has an attacking dog lodged on his back and my sword swinging for his face. Swiftrunner tries to rise, but arrows and spells are now raining down upon him. The beast dies just as his friends are no longer stunned and on the ground. I try to fight them, but my sword flies from my fingers. All ten of the werewolves sense my weakness. Then, they all attack at once.

* * *

 **An Unknown Amount of Time Later**

The first thing I notice when I wake up is Leliana's face hanging over me. Bags are under her tired eyes and a deep scowl is etched on her face. I groan and reach out for the woman. My bruised, crushed fingers lightly touch her cheek and seem to bring the woman out of her trance. I feel two lanky arms wrap around me and the woman pulls me into a tight hug. My heart begins racing and I struggle to breathe; however, I close my eyes and try to block it out. Leliana, thankfully, quickly realize what she's done and pulls away. I try to focus my weary eyes on her face and mumble a single question.

"What happened?". The human cringes and carefully explains the situation.

"The werewolves used their mauling attacked on you, and when one of them finished the next one would use it. It ended very, very badly for you. Thankfully, they didn't seem to care about any of us besides you. Duncan, Morrigan, and I were able to take them out while they mauled you.". I groan and sigh, then ask another question.

"The damage?". Leliana runs her fingers through my hair and I feel a numb spot.

"A cracked skull. Alistair gave me a hat to put over it, so it isn't exposed to the world. Sten gave me a helm for you to wear, so it won't happen again.". My list of aches and wounds is now almost an unmanageable length.

I begin forcing myself into a sitting position and my human friend quickly helps. Her hands wrap around me and she assist me into my desired position. Finally, I'm sitting and can talk to Leliana.

"What else happened?". The woman slides down beside me and explains what occurred after I was out.

"I cut out Witherfang's heart and brought it to the elves. Morrigan transformed into a bear and carried you back. All of us talked to the elves, and they've agreed to assist us with our battle against the Darkspawn. Their healer patched you up as best as he could, but we had to bring you back to camp and continue our mission. Now everyone's just waiting for your call.". I look around and see I'm outside Leliana's tent in the middle of camp. I motion around and Leliana whistles to everyone. Sten, Duncan, Morrigan, and Alistair all gather around. I quickly get everyone together and tell them my plan.

"Yeah, this is taking forever. We're going to have to split up and take care of business.". I point at Sten and Alistair.

"You two need to go to Orzammar and get the word of the dwarves that they'll help us.". I point at Morrigan, Leliana, and Duncan.

"You three are coming with me to the Mage's Circle. All of us will meet up at Recliffe to get the Arl's support.". I point at Alistair.

"You're the Grey Warden here, so you'll be the one in charge. Trust me when I say I'll get my part done, or Morrigan and Leliana will force me. Just do your job and wait at Redcliffe. If I die, then one of the others will come to tell you. If none of us are there before the Blight takes full hold, then-". I shrug at him.

"I guess you're fucked and it won't matter to me.". Alistair seems upset at my lack of concern for the Blight, but nods and asks me a few questions.

"If we reach Redcliffe first, then do you want us to try to get the Arls's support while you're away? How should we communicate? Should we go to the Circle's Tower if we don't find you at Redcliffe? Are you going to come to Orzammar if we aren't at Recliffe?". I sigh and repeat my answers.

"Try, but don't kill yourselves. I'd like us to be together when we speak to the Arl because he's the most important. I don't think we'll be able to communicate, so just ask yourself 'what would Tabris do'.". He interrupts me.

"I have a feeling that the answers always going to be 'kill or fuck something'.". I glare and keep speaking.

"No. Don't come to the tower, but I'll hunt you down if need be. I'm the leader, and I want my team together. Besides, there's only one road to Orzammar and multiple roads to the tower. Now,". I look around at everyone.

"GO!".

* * *

 **Note: Denerim's Shadow will briefly be going on hiatus while I work on my other stories. I'm not abandoning it, but I won't pick it up again until I feel like it. That could be a very, very long time from now. I'm sorry, but right now this story just isn't for me. I hope you understand.**


	18. The Return

Leliana, Morrigan, Duncan, and I all make it about halfway to the Mage's Tower when exhaustion finally settles in. All of us set up a makeshift camp for the night. Unfortunately, I get saddled with making dinner while my Mabari sits beside me. I'm tearing up beef for the soup (and occasionally tossing handfuls to Duncan) when Morrigan and Leliana join me. Morrigan is the first to break the silence. "It would have been wise to send Leliana or me with Alistair and Sten. Two people are far more vulnerable and weak than three. It could have been an even split.". I shrug in complete indifference. Both women are silent for a few minutes.

Finally, as I'm adding the beef to the stew Leliana speaks. "Your armor is still dented.". I look down and see a decent dent in my side. I groan, but begin yanking the armor off. As I do I give Duncan a simple command. "Get my hammer, boy!". My dog barks and returns with a slobbery hammer just as I finish taking my armor off. I offer the Mabari a pat of the head before beginning to work on the dent in my breastplate. I'm so focused on my work I hardly even notice when Leliana carefully stands up and walks around behind me. Morrigan cocks her head, but doesn't say a word. I'm still hammering out the dents in my armor when Leliana crouches down behind my back to examine part of me.

I freeze up and twitch when I feel a ghost of her breath wash over my back. I know very well what she's seeing. The quilt of angry, red scars; thick, white ridges; and blackened flesh isn't pretty. Sadly, that's what my entire back looks like. The thug in the alleyway had the decency to 'cauterize' my wound for me before they left. The permanent burns are what make the black marks.

A part of me tells me to flip around and scream at Leliana for looking at something so personal; however, turning around would reveal my secret to Morrigan. I definitely trust Leliana more than I trust Morrigan. I allow the human to keep looking as I consider how many other people have seen my back. Shianni saw it when she found me, my father saw it when he tended to me, and one prostitute saw me when I was dressing while drunk.

Leliana's the first person that's seen it who hasn't been family or some cheap whore. I already know the question that's coming, but I still flinch when she asks it. "How did you get these?". I don't even consider telling her. "That's not your business right now.". Leliana stands up and returns to her place at the fire. A nod shows me she doesn't hold any grudges. Suddenly, Morrigan adds to the conversation. "I already know very well what happened to your back.". I freeze up and Leliana turns to the wild mage.

I stay silent and wary as the witch explains. "I healed you, and I know what causes those marks.". I stand and drop my armor to the ground. Now I'm left standing in my bra before Morrigan. "Like fuck you know how I got my entire back ripped off of me.". Morrigan stands in challenge. "Mass removal of the flesh. Someone tried to kill you.". I scoff and shake my head. "They'd no intent of killing me. They only wanted to watch me writhe in agony.". I sit back down, yank my armor up off the ground, and go back to hammering out the dent. Slowly, Leliana tries to bring up the topic again. "What could you have done that causes someone to want to put you in that much pain?". I humor her, but barely. "I stood up for elves and a human decide to pay with my flesh.". I shake my head and say something I'm sure will shut both of them up for the night.

"They ripped off twenty pounds of fat, muscles, and skin before deciding I had paid for my crimes. The woman with me got death instead of a living skinning.". Both are quiet for a long time. I think both of the humans have lost interest when Morrigan butts in again. "What did your attacker do with you flesh?". I hit my armor a little too harder than required as I answer the witch across from me. "They cooked it up and ate it with a fancy glass of wine.".

Morrigan rolls her eyes. "Very funny.". I examine my armor and tell her the truth. "I'm not lying. She made me watch while she ate it and complimented me on keeping my skin so soft and clean even though I'm an elf.". I thick silence fills the camp as I put my armor back on. Leliana is the first one to gather enough courage to speak. "Did you fight?". I shake my head. "You should have heard me the first time she trapped and tortured me.". I sneer and shake my head. "I screamed. Weak. Pathetic.". Now Morrigan speaks. "You aren't weak anymore.". I nod and stand up. "I'm _not_ weak anymore. If she tried to cook me with some tangy sauce today, then I'd beat her within an inch of her life. Then, I'd make her watch me eat her back meat.".

Leliana cringes and Morrigan nods in approval. The bard of our group tries to talk me down. "Revenge isn't always the best route.". Morrigan disagrees. "It's not, but it's the only route worth following.". I chuckle a little and check on the soup. I begin filling four bowls as the two humans stare at me in silence. It's painfully clear neither of them know what to say about my meat once begin used for dinner. I ignore them and hand them their soup. Neither of the humans eat, but Duncan digs into his with great gusto and even begs me for seconds.

When we're done I stand and begin packing up. Instantly, my human fellows question me. "What are you doing?". I can hear the disdain drip from Morrigan's voice as she snarls at me. I keep packing and give her a simple explanation. "You've put me off of the mood for sleeping. We're going to go to the tower and sleep outside until tomorrow.". The two begin arguing with me, but before I can defend myself Leliana gives in.

Soon enough, Morrigan realizes she can't argue against a majority of our group. So, we all set out in the middle of the night. It works out about as well as expected. Duncan gets his head stuck in a gopher hole, Morrigan falls down three hills on six different occasions, Leliana (who was running as quickly as she could downhill to save Morrigan) ran into a tree, and I accidentally get shot in the leg by Leliana when I went to relieve myself.

Morrigan offers to light torches, but the distant howling of wolves makes all of us reconsider. Lighting torches would let us see better in the darkness; however, it could very possibly attract attention we don't want. The rest of the trip is spent moaning and groaning about aches and pains. Morrigan manages to twist her ankle while I break off the arrowhead trying to dig the projectile out of my limb. Everyone's spirits quickly die and shrivel up in the face of reality.

Briefly, Leliana tries to raise our spirits with a song. She barely gets a note out before Morrigan 'accidentally' fires off a spell at her. I groan at the two as they begin bickering like children. Thankfully, I'm able to avoid getting dragged into the conversation. The rest of our walk is spent like that. Well, almost. My feet begin throbbing and the muscles in my leg tighten.

 _Duncan comes up to about my chest. That's like the size of a small horse, right?_ I begin lightly petting the Mabari and shushing the quiet hound. Slowly, I climb onto his back. My dog keeps walking, but looks upwards and attempts to kiss my face. Morrigan and Leliana stop arguing at once and complaining. Well, Morrigan does. "Why do you get to get out of walking?". I hang onto the Mabari's neck and mumble sleepily into the fur on his neck.

"I'm the only one tiny enough to carry. The mage seems dissatisfied with my logic; however, she doesn't question me and we don't have any more arguments while heading to the Mage's Tower. Our journey is uneventful for quite some time. The gods seem to be getting bored because disaster strikes us once again. Mostly it strikes me. I fall off of Duncan into some mud and lose a beef sandwich I made a few hours ago, the tent I was carrying, and my dignity. _Damn, I was looking forward to eating that sandwich_.

Leliana heaves me out of the mud and places me back on Duncan's back. I mumble a weary thanks before all of us start heading towards our destination again. By the time we get there the sun is barely peaking over the horizon and my entire team looks like we've been drug through ten different kinds of shit. Morrigan's ankle is swollen, Duncan's face is covered in sores from the gophers, Leliana's nose is bleeding/black, and my leg still has an arrowhead buried in it. I walk over to the softest looking patch of dirt and collapse. Morrigan walks over and falls on top of me. Duncan follows Morrigan's example and collapses on her. All three of us don't do anything or say (bark in Duncan's case) anything at all. We're all just so, so exhausted and want the travel to be over.

Leliana is the only one who's still standing out of the group. Leliana manages to put up two tents. Then, the bard drags Morrigan into one of the tents. Duncan follows her inside and I silently curse him. I'm being drug into the other tent when I manage to get enough of my wits. "We have three tents.". Leliana shakes her head. "It went into the mud and nobody got it, remember?". I groan in agony and begin trying to push myself up off of the floor. _I'm going to have to go all the way back there and get it so nobody has to sleep on the ground_.

Leliana sees me struggling to get up and gently forces me back to the ground. "What do you think you're doing?". I point in the general direction of where we came. "I have to get the tent.". Leliana shakes her head. "It's too far. Besides, you can sleep with me.". No. No, I really can't. Sleeping in the same tent as someone else is probably the worst thing for me to do. However, I can't tell Leliana that without going into specifics. I take a deep breath and try to reason with the human. "I can go sleep outside and make it easier on everyone.".

Leliana glares and closes the tent we're in. I try to fight, but the human places a pillow beneath my head and a blanket over me. Well, I guess there's not really a point in trying to fight it anymore. The human will only keep pushing until I finally accept her offer, so I might as well go with it and save myself all of the trouble. My heavy eyelids begin sliding shut and I mumble incoherent threats about forcing me to do something I don't want to do. Leliana smiles and allows me to peacefully drift off into nothingness.


	19. Careful Wishing

**Leliana POV:**

I'm the first of the group to wake up, but I don't move or get up. If I start doing anything, then I'll be the one stuck making breakfast. Instead, I've spent my time examining the elf beside me. Tabris is lying on her stomach with her face pointing towards me. Filthy, blonde hair is slicked down with sweat; her pale, wet skin is sickly in the current light; and her crooked teeth are sticking out between bruised lips. Cautiously, I reach out and push some hair off of her forehead. The elf sighs in her sleep and subconsciously leans into my tough. I allow my fingertips to slide along her slick skin for a moment, then pull back. I don't want the angry woman to wake up with me touching her.

 _You're a tough, tough woman to love. I suppose you know that though. Ah well, fighting to love you is half of the fun of loving you_. I'm  certain the elf likes me. However, I can already see she'll never say it out loud. I just need to build up enough courage to talk to her. My tent partner turns over and I can see her back where her shirt lifts up. Angry, swollen lines and red, tight skin run up and down the entire length of her back. I'm still finding it difficult to accept that some random mugger just decided to skin her. There has to be more to it than that. I just can't push her. I reach out and lightly move some of her hair off of the back of her neck.

I instantly snatch my hand back when the woman tenses up and begins jerking awake. The elf awkwardly pushes herself up and looks around. When she sees me dressed and kneeling beside her she, obviously, questions me. Thankfully, that question isn't exactly as intelligent as I feared. "Wasat?". I pat the ground instead of her and try to get her moving. "We're at the lake. We need to eat breakfast, then go.". The elf groans and buries her face in the pillow. I chuckle, then get up and go over to Morrigan's tent. The mage is asleep and Duncan is snoring in the corner. I nudge the dog with my foot and hear him jerk awake. The mabari turns his head upwards and begins panting at me.

I whistle and grab his harness. The boy allows me to drag him into the warden's tent. Duncan instantly begins whining and straining against me. I smirk and allow him to be free. In less than thirty seconds the elf is up and ready to go. Duncan, however, is still bounding around her and trying to play. I allow the woman to finish getting ready as I go outside and begin making breakfast. Some slices of ham are crackling over the fire by the time my companions join me. Morrigan is as fancy and dressed-up as always. The elf has her armor on backwards and her hair is the messiest I've ever seen it. My future love (alright, that might be going a little too far) is the firs to be served.

My friend takes the meat and mumbles her thanks. Then, she begins eating exactly how I imagine Duncan will. I toss Duncan his share and, sure enough, he and the warden look like they could be related. I slide Morrigan her share, sigh when I don't get a thanks, and eat my own breakfast. Finally, we all finish up and pack up our stuff. The warden hides it all before motioning for us to begin. All four of us walk over to the docks that lead to the tower. A Templar is standing guard and snaps to attention when he sees us. "Halt! T-". The warden shoves him into the lake and hops into the only boat. Morrigan begins cackling while I roll my eyes.

 _I'm going to need to calm her down before trying anything with her_. The warden and I end up rowing us to the Circle Tower. When we're inside the tower I see the lead Templar commanding his fellows. The elf of the group groans and walks over. Instantly, she demands to know what's going on. "I need mages to fight darkspawn. Where are the mages?". The Templar points behind him and begins to explain. "Demons have overrun the tower. We're sealing it off be-". The elf pushes by him, pushes by the guards closing the door, and yells a warning over her shoulder. "I'm killing everything in there until I get to the mages. If your men get in the way, they aren't immune to that rule.".

Duncan, Morrigan, and I are barely able to keep up with her. The elf leads us around the twisting hallway past multiple rooms. Our walk is only stopped by a group of mages. A silver-haired woman is fending off a demon from two young adults and two children. The older mage easily kills the monster, then slams a barrier up on the only other doorway here. Morrigan and I hang back as the elf and mage talk. The mage starts. "What's happening? Who're you?". The elf throws her arms in the air. "I'm a warden. I need mages for my battle. The Templars are probably going to kill you, so I came in and decided to kill any demon I saw. Now, put the barrier down so I can keep killing demons.".

The mage cocks her head. "You're here to help? Also, my name's Wynne.". My crush groans. "Yes! Put the barrier down!". The mage stands firm. "I want to accompany you!". The elf groans and turns around. I see her raise her hand and point at Morrigan. "We don't need two mages. Go meet Alistair and help him.". Morrgian looks absolutely offended. "Send your dog!". The elf shakes her head. "You're in the best shape of the entire group, and you're the only one who can survive the trip alone.". The younger mage looks slightly less offended. In fact, she even agrees. "Okay. Try not to get yourself killed while I'm gone.".

Morrigan walks off and my crush scoffs. Then, she turns and begins storming up the tower. Our new companion isn't much of a fighter, but she's an amazing healer. Any wound I get throughout the entire fight up the tower is easily healed. She even manages to revive the warden halfway through a battle when she's knocked unconscious. Duncan and the elf now have the ability to be the warriors they were meant to be. Both of them can charge in and do as much damage as possible without worrying about having to protect themselves. If they ever get hurt or pained, then (I think her name was Wynne) is there to patch them up.

The poor old woman is exhausted easily and hardly has time to cast any offensive spells; however, healing the two warriors of our group is even better than attacking by herself. We spend hours after hours working our way up to tower, and I'm certain it's in no small part because of Wynne. Her healing is making all of this possible. My group cuts its way through abominations, demons, and hostile mages. We work our way up floor by floor and occasionally take breaks. The only mercy is the tower only has a few floors. We're all exhausted and tired, but alive when we reach the final room. My elven friend opens the door and a demon stands before us. We're barely inside when he casts his spell.

* * *

 **? POV:**

I'm woken up by lips suckling on my neck. I groan and bring my hands up to tangle in thick, ratty hair. Slowly, I open my eyes and look down. A blonde head is moving from side to side as sharp, uneven teeth nip my skin. I twine my fingers into the hair and begin tugging on it. Pointed ears are revealed and I realize exactly who's sucking my neck. "Tabris.". The elf looks up and a grin splits her face. The warden doesn't say anything as she comes up to lock her lips with mine. Her soft, warm lips meet mine and I instantly know I need her. I grab the woman's shoulders and shove her off of me. The elf is barley off when I grab her again and push her underneath me.

Another grin comes to the woman's face. I reach out and cup her soft face. The elf closes her eyes, gives an over-dramatic moan, and licks the side of my hand. I take my hand away and lean down to the elf's neck. I suck on the salty skin I find there and tease her flesh with my teeth. The elf begins shaking and groaning. "Leliana. Please.". I pull back and cockily ask her a question. "What do you want me to do?". Her legs snake up and wrap themselves against my waist. "Fuck me. Ravage me until I can't breathe; pound me until my cunt is bleeding; suck my tits until they're dry; rip away my fragile innocence.".

I trail my hands down her naked stomach, but hesitate above her waist. "What?". Blue eyes snap open and look at me. Her grin falls into a sadden smile. "I've never been with anyone.". She grinds her hips into me. "You'll be my first.". She wraps her arms around me and pulls herself up to whisper in my ear. "Do it. Be like the savage humans of old and claim your elven bride by fucking her raw. Tear away my innocence and make me a human's whore.". I feel my desire grow and throb as longing builds inside me. I ignore her genitals. Instead, I rest both of my hands against her face. Tabris looks up at me with loving and trusting eyes.

That's when I smack her. The elf sits in stunned silence, but I can see the longing in her eyes. I lean down and whisper a slur in her ear before each hit. "Flat ears.". _Smack_! "Halla-rider.". _Smack_! "Rattus.". _Smack_! "Wood elf savage.". _Smack_! "Rabbit.". _Smack_! "Knife-ear.". _Smack_! Tabris throws her head back and lets out a long, low groan. "Please. Please, fuck me. Hit me and strangle me and make me your lowly slave.". I smirk and bring my hands up to her neck. I lace my fingers around her throat and squeeze as hard as I can. I don't allow her to feel my touch or love against her cunt. Instead, I watch her turn the loveliest shade of purple.

I'm still hurting the elf when I hear someone approach us. I look over and see a red-headed woman with a bow looking at me with disgust. I sneer at her and continue tempting the elf. The bitch is so weak willed and pathetic that she'll stay with me. And, as long as she stays with me I'll continue doing my job. Tempting her to give in to her desire. Suddenly, the woman beneath me moans a name. "Leliana...". The red-headed woman slides to her knees beside the bed. "I'm here. I'll-". The elf reaches up and grasps my face. "Leliana, harder. Please. Fuck me. Make me yours.".

I tighten my fingers so she can't even speak, but the human has heard enough. Her entire face is red and she's breathing heavy. Looks like she's the person this damned elf is seeing me as. If I wasn't a demon I'm sure I'd think this was awkward. Thankfully, I'm still a demon and continue strangling the elf. Finally, the human regains her senses. "Let her go!". I scoff and grind down into the elf. "Does it look like she wants to be let go?". The human steps closer. "Let her go, or else.". I laugh. "Or e-". Her dagger sliding through my face answers my question pretty clearly.


	20. A Demon's Desire

**Leliana POV:**

My dagger slides into the Desire Demon's face. The creature snarls and shakes her head. My dagger doesn't even seem to hurt her. Instead, it's pushed out of her completely fine face. A thin blue shield around the demon reveals why I can't hurt her. The demon scoffs and smacks Tabris again. I can't see the demon the way my elven friend is seeing it, but the warden reaches up and begins pulling on the demon's horns. The Desire Demon smirks at me and snarls. "Leave. She wants this. Listen.". The demon releases her fingers enough so that the elf can gasps out her pleas. "Fuck me. Ravage me until I can't breathe; pound me until my cunt is bleeding; suck my tits until they're dry; rip away my fragile innocence.".

The demon suddenly glares and _cracks_ the elf on the head. " _You said that already_!". The elf moans at the hit and grinds upwards into the demon. The demon suddenly becomes enraged. " _Don't you dare try to take charge here_!". A hand strangles the elf while a fist begins hitting the side of her head. The warden's eyes roll back into her skull as a moan slides from her lips. The demon turns to me. "See? She likes it here. I can give her what you never could.". She turns back to the Grey Warden. "Now leave. I have a virginity to take.". The elf begins writhing and moaning beneath the Desire demon.

 _She's a virgin. And she wants you to take her virginity, suck her tits, and fuck her_. I shake off images of myself on top of the elf; instead, I lean down towards the woman and try to whisper her out of her current situation. "Tabris. I need you. Duncan and Wynne are in trouble. I've taken down the demons, but I need to free them and take down the Sloth Deamon.". The elf ignores me and keeps trying to get the demon to fuck her. She even goes as far as to start taking off her armor. The Desire Demon laughs and quickly helps my friend strip. Now Tabris is naked beneath the Desire Demon. The demon in question turns to me, winks, and whispers a threat.

"Watch her face as I take her maidenhood. I promise I won't be gentle.". The elf moans and I try another tactic. "I haven't even kissed you yet.". A pointed ear twitches. "I wouldn't tear away your virginity before kissing you.". The elf turns her face towards me and squints. Quickly, the demon goes to punch her. I want to save my friend, and I see only one way to go that. I grab her face and turn it upwards. The punch that was meant for the side of her head lands square in the middle of her face. The warden cringes and grasps her face. "Ow! Not the face!". The blue shield around the demon flickers. The demon begins breathing heavy as it panics.

Finally, the demon fucks up. "Shut your whore mouth, you know you love it.". She seems to have the elf back under her power, but another punch to the face ruins it. My friend begins actively smacking the demon's arms. "Hey! Stop it! Get off, you've ruined the mood!". The demon slams both of her hands down on the warden's neck. The demon's shield is now dull and barely there. The demon keeps strangling my friend as she tries to bring her back under her control. "You're a damned whore. You know this is one of your favorite fantasies. Just lay back and let this savage human rape this elven maiden raw.". The elf begins panicking and fighting back stronger.

"What? No, not like this!". She starts clawing at the demon's almost gone shield. "You have to ask consent before pulling this shit, you asshole!". I lean forward and whisper into the elf's ear. "I wouldn't do this to you. I'd take you somewhere romantic, give you the best date worth remembering, and make love to you beneath the stars. Not this.". The demon picks the elf up and slams her head back into the hard headboard of the bed. "YOU WHORE! YOU KNOW YOU-". The elf punches the demon squarely in the face and the Desire Demon's shield disappears completely. My friend lets out a gasps as she sees the demon for what it is.

Tabris gathers her legs underneath her, puts them against the demon's stomach, and kicks. The demon falls off of my friend, grunts, and begins struggling to get to her feet. My dagger is in its side before it can stand. The demon slides to the ground and quietly dies. I ignore her death and rush to the elf. Tabris is sitting up on the bed, her armor is in her lap, and she's rubbing her throat while licking her lips. I sit down beside her. Tabris shocks me by taking my arms and wrapping them around her naked shoulders. I allow her to control the hug and look at her revealed flesh. The scars on her back are still there, but there are even more on her front.

Five raised marks on her stomach, a raised mark on her chest, and a long line from her right to left hip. For a few seconds the warden is quiet. Then, she turns to me and cocks her head. "Do you remember what was happening?". I nod and feel my face turn hot. The elf sighs and nods. "So do I.". She goes back to silence and I try to rouse her to talk. "Do you wanna talk about it?". She shakes her head. "Not here. When we're in camp I would like to talk to you, though.". I nod and rub her shoulders in comfort. I try to take the conversation another way. "May I ask why the demon called you the names and did those things?". The elf shrugs.

"I'm certain someone else could look into my mind and see why I find it arousing for someone to call me a slave in a sexual situation. All I know is a like it when people do.". I try my third (and most likely final) question. "You're a virgin?". The elf sighs.

"Yes. I'm a damned virgin. I'd always pay the whores at the Pearl ten silvers to pretend I had sex with them. Their boss only gave them twenty-five of the fifty I paid her, so the extra ten was enough to make them quiet in the hopes I'd 'use' them again. I use to try to romance girls. Then, my cousin started spreading rumors about girls I'd slept with. I'd only flirted with them, but the rumors worked out for both of us. It made me look like someone who could actually convince someone to have sex with them, and they got to say they'd briefly tamed a womanizer. The only problem is nobody actually needed to sleep with me to say they did. And, anyone who liked me would assume I'd leave in the morning, so they wouldn't even bother talking to me.".

I rub her scarred back in sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that. At least, now you're away from your home and nobody knows you.". She sighs, stands, and begins putting on her armor. "Come on, we need to go kill the Sloth Demon and finish getting the mages to help us defeat the Darkspawn.".

I stand and follow her, but my mind is definitely elsewhere. I can't get the images of me doing what the demon did to Tabris. Not _as_ hard as demon did, but enough to please the elf. The images are tempting, but not nearly as tempting as other images. Images of holding hands, kissing, cuddling, and basking in the afterglow of having sex with her. I look over at the elf as she leads us out of her fantasy. I briefly glance at the fantasy and try to glean some clues from the fantasy. The bed is a slightly raised singe person bed in a tiny, cramped room in what appears to be a shack. _Maybe that was once where she lived_. I can't make love to the elf in her childhood room, but I can give her something better when the time comes.

I can't look at the fantasy anymore as we reach the edge of the fantasy and the elf disappears. I groan and go through alone. I use the map of this realm to go to Duncan's nightmare. The dog is asleep and all it takes is a nudge to wake him up before he disappears. Wynne, however, is more complicated. She's surrounded by dead mages and weeping. Nothing I say can get through to her. Then, a dead mage suddenly pushes himself up in an attempt to get me to leave. Wynne screams and the two of us quickly kill the demons. Then, Wynne disappears like the other two.

Now the only demon left is the Sloth Demon. I've murdered every other demon here and can now transform into four different creatures, so I decide now is as good of a time as any. I quickly take my golem form and select the Sloth Demon's lair. The creature is already there when I arrive. I take a step forward and he sighs. "Can't you think of anything besides yourself? Go back to your dream and I'll make it better. I'll give her bigger breasts this time.". I shudder at what he's referring to. I was woken up with the warden chained and naked before me. I knew it wasn't her when she attempted to seduce me while I was unchaining her. I even questioned her on whether she hated humans or not.

I definitely knew it wasn't her when the demon claimed it wanted to 'make love' to all humans it met. "I don't care how big her breasts are, it's not the real her!". A popping sound comes from behind me and my companions are there. Wynne steps forward. "We are stronger together than you.". Duncan hops forward. "*Angry bark!*". The elf pulls out her weapon. "I'm going to shove my sword so far up your ass you'll have to fuck yourself off of it!". The Sloth Demon sighs and changes his form into a Rage Demon. My golem form begins beating him over the head while my companions attack as one.

The demon hardly even has time to fight. He barely manages to change form before he has to change it once again. I'd like to say my golem form is helping the most, but it's actually the warden who's doing everything. Her massive sword is cleaving the demon in two as she scuttles around him. Her attacks are monstrous and deadly. However, she gets hit once and falls to the ground. _Great offensive, a defense that isn't even there_. I make a mental note to talk to the elf about getting some better armor or learn to take a hit. Wynne suddenly thrusts her hands upwards and the elf staggers to her feet with all of her wounds healed.

The elf smirks and begins hacking away at the demon again. _Well, looks like she doesn't need to learn. All she needs is Wynne to keep shoving her back on her feet_. The demon is quickly taken down by all of our combined efforts and refusal to quit. The Sloth Demon collapses into a heap, lets out a long and loud dying groan, and dies quickly. Wynne sighs, Tabris howls, and Duncan begins howling. That's when all three of them disappear again. I barely have any time to think as I to disappear into nothingness.


	21. Finally

I wake up on the cold, hard floor and allow a groan to pass my lips. I push myself up and find the rest of my group doing the same. Duncan is halfway up, Wynne is struggling to her feet, and Tabris is already standing. I notice the elf is facing away from me. I try to go over to her, but the warden quickly rushes over to Wynne and helps the older woman up. I sigh and wait for the elf to speak.

Tabris motions all of us along and explains the situation as we continue up to the top of the tower. "I have a scroll to use to prevent the demons from corrupting anymore mages. We need to hit the leader as soon as we go in, never let up, and kill him as quickly as possible. I want to go to meet up with Alistair within a week, then go to Denerim. Or the other way around given the fact we're making incredible time.".

The elf stops talking as we enter the tower. Multiple corrupt mages and abominations are standing in a circle around the remaining mages. The warden steps forward, holds the scroll in the air, and whistles. Everyone turns to her as she activates the spell. Instantly, the abominations are upon us. The battle is short, but intense. I shoot without aiming because of the sheer density of our foes, Wynne follows my lead, and the warden and her dog can do their best to flank the foes. The mages are quickly killed and looted.

We're finishing cleaning up when the leader of the mages begins walking towards us. Quickly, the warden turns around and motions for us to leave. "I'll catch up with you guys, but for now go make camp deeper in the woods. Also, make sure that Morrigan took her stuff before leaving.". I nod and begin leaving with Duncan while Wynne stays with Tabris. Duncan and I leave the tower, cross the lake, and move the camp without incident. I choose a spot that's a little ways into the trees, but not deep enough for any predators or bandits to find us. Duncan helped by dragging a stick behind him.

I try to take it to build the fire, but the dog refuses. I sigh and go back to sitting up camp. However, I run into a quick problem. Morrigan took her tent and returned the muddy one, but there's still only two tents. A smile spreads across my face as I clean off the muddy tent. I'll just have to sleep with the warden again. My smile isn't due to the fact I intent to do anything to her, but the fact that we're both going to have to finally face our feelings for one another.

I've just put up the final tent when Wynne and Tabris return. The elf explains the situation as Wynne gets settled. "She's joined us.". I nod and point towards the tents. "I expected that.". I notice that the warden still isn't making eye contact with me and won't turn her body towards me.

I inwardly sigh and go about preparing some food for us. I find some rabbit in my bag and throw it into a stew pot. I'm aware both of my companions are from this land, so I don't add any spices or herbs for their sake. I leave the stew extremely dull and simply make sure the soggy meat is cooked enough to eat. I divide it up and hand my friends their food. Duncan's done almost as soon as I put his bowl down, Wynne thanks me and gingerly begins eating, and the warden hastily yanks her soup from me. Some splatters on her armor, but she ignores it in order to mumble 'thanks' at me.

Then, she turns her body away from me once again. I shake my head before choking down my dinner. Finally, it's time to turn in. The warden looks about ready to bolt for her single tent, but Wynne beats her to it. The older woman isn't trying to beat the elf or anything; she was just closer to the tent and started heading there sooner.

The elf freezes, then launches herself into our shared tent with Duncan right behind her. I douse our fire and quickly join her. The woman is curled up on her side on one side of the tent. Our one sleeping bag is shoved to the opposite side of the tent. Duncan is wrapped around his mistress in a protective blanket. I roll my eyes, sit down on my sleeping bag, and whistle to get the elf's attention.

The woman pretends not to hear me. I roll my eyes again before scooting over to her, gently moving Duncan, and forcing the woman to face me. I inhale sharply and regret forcing her. Tears are leaking down her red face as she stares up at me with a pitiful gaze. I barely manage to squeak out my concern. "What's wrong?". Her voice quivers as she starts spilling her concerns.

"'m a damned disgrace. My friends and family would sneer and call me a tamed elf. Maybe that's what I am. Some damn pet meant to sit on a human's lap.". My heart aches. Her entire life she's been told it's wrong to love a human and those who do should be shamed. Now she loves (well, maybe that's a strong word at the moment) a human. She's what she was always told was wrong. The elf keeps going.

"And I'm a disgrace to elves everywhere. I'm twenty and still a virgin, I've never even been kissed, and I've never had a serious relationship. I'm a loser. All I can do is swing a sword and, apparently, disgrace my entire race. I should just go sell myself into slavery now and make everything easier. My people would pity instead of hate me; I wouldn't have to feel guilty for wanting to be fucked by a human; and my tameness will be seen as a result of captivity.". I desperately try to talk some sense into the woman by defeating her weakest point.

"Who says you're going to be 'tame' if you start a relationship with me?". She sniffles before answering. "My father, my cousins, and Morrigan to name a few.". I inwardly scream at the witch and try destroying the elf's point. "Morrigan's just an insensitive bitch who likes seeing you angry and mad at the world. Calling you tame is just a way for her to control you. It gets you to act how she wants and look to her for approval.". Her tears slowly stop. "Now, what has your father done to make you think he would be upset if you found happiness?".

She doesn't sniffle as she answers. "My mother was killed by humans.". She doesn't continue. "Is that it?". She hides her face and mumbles a 'yes'. I reach out and gently lay my hand on her arm. She doesn't pull back. "I'm certain he hates the humans that killed his wife and I'm sure he'll take some time to warm up to me, but I still think your happiness would matter most to him.". She doesn't press the issue and I decide to go after the cousins.

"What about your cousins?". She manages to look at me with a red face and watery eyes. "Soris is always telling me to be cautious of humans and to steer clear of them. Shianni would tease me when I'd choose human whores at The Pearl.". I begin rubbing her arm as I tell her my argument. "I don't think that means 'don't love a human'.".

She doesn't get upset, so I keep going. "Soris probably didn't want you to get hurt or upset. I heard from Alistair what you were like when you two first met. You hated every human you laid eyes on. Soris just wanted to make sure you didn't do something to get you executed. Shianni was just playfully mocking you. It's what cousins do.". She wipes her face clean and I continue.

"You aren't the first elf to love a human. I mean, there are half-elf half-human children out there! Elves who love humans might be looked at a little funny, but they've never been killed for it! I'm certain there are humans and elves out there who think you and I are disgracing our races, but I'm also certain there are elves and humans who're happy for us!". Her face is slowly going back to its natural 'ghostly pale' color. I begin stroking her arm a little lighter. Finally, the warden asks me a question.

"What if I forget who I am? What if I just get so caught up in you that I unwittingly begin working against my own people? I've seen it happen before. Elf falls in love with human, human spirits elf away to a better life of almost-human benefits, and elf gets caught up in a better life and never looks back.". I can understand her concern, so I gently explain it to her. "You're a strong-willed and dedicated woman. You'll never forget about the elves.".

Slowly, the elf sits up. "And if you do, then I'll remind you. I'd hate to take away a part of your elven spirit in order to keep the whole woman.". I think of something that might help her. "You could even be the one calling the shots when we finally become intimate.". The elf recoils and shakes her head. "No. I can't do that.". I nod as a weight lifts itself off my chest. It's taken me years to figure out I prefer dominating to being dominated. It wouldn't have made me stop pursuing her, but it sure wouldn't have made me jump into bed with her any quicker. "Alright. When it comes time, I'll be the one on top.".

Tabris looks down at the floor and fiddles with her fingers. I remove my hand from her arm and reach down to intertwine my fingers with hers. Carefully, I pull the woman closer. I remember her lists of reasons she's a disgrace, and I intent of fixing one of those reasons tonight. Tabris shows her submissive side and allows me to lead her into a kiss.

I can already tell the woman wasn't lying when she said she'd never kissed anyone. She tenses up and I have to gently move my lips on hers to get a response. The elf follows my lead in whatever I do. So, I take advantage. I use my hands to massage her jaw open, then forcibly press my lips against hers in an extremely ungentle kiss.

The warden accepts my domineering demand and allows me to lazily explore her mouth. I feel uncertain hands come to rest of my side. I slide my own hands down to the woman's hips and roughly squeeze. A gasp from the elf allows me to explore her mouth even deeper. The warden's own tongue lightly plays with my own, but ultimately allows me to do whatever I please. I feel myself getting hotter at the thought that Tabris would let me do whatever I want to do to her. I wouldn't take advantage of that fact, but it does manage to get me worked up. I move my hands around to the elf's back and hesitantly begin moving downwards.

The elf doesn't stop me as she continues allowing me to dominate her mouth. I roughly begin groping the elf's ass as I push myself harder onto her. The warden allows me to fall on top of her and keep controlling her. Whimpers begin leaking from the elf as I grind my hips down onto her. Slowly, I bring one of my hands around to touch her stomach.

I rub her shirt in circles until enough skin is revealed for me to slide my fingers underneath her shirt. The elf is breathing heavily as I take full control of the situation. I strum my fingers slowly up her stomach and to rest on her clothed left tit. The elf pulls back with shining eyes and opens her mouth to say something. That's when Duncan tackles me.


	22. Author's Apology

**Note: I'd like to apologize for not tacking this on to the last chapter, but I forgot. I'll be gone for about a week and a half or two and unable/unwilling to spend any time on the internet. If I manage to get a single chapter out, then it's for some random reason. I'm sorry and I'll be back soon.**


	23. Marching Preparations

**Tabris POV:**

I grab Duncan by his harness and begin heaving him off of Leliana. The bard is laughing and petting my Mabari, but I still feel a twinge of regret. I highly doubt Leliana would want to have sex with me only a few moments after officially announcing her feelings for me (I doubt I'd even let her); however, a tiny part of me still yearned to let things come to a more natural end. Finally, I wrestle Duncan off of Leliana. My hound turns to me, smiles, and licks my face. I groan as Wynne decides to make her presence known. "Hello?". I groan and yell out. "Come in!". Wynne steps inside with a bundle in her hand. "Do you want your belongings?". I nod and take the bag from her.

Then, I motion for the woman to sit down. The older mage (who I've already developed an affinity for because of no better reason that she's not Morrigan) sits down and crosses her legs. Duncan collapses onto his side and Leliana scoots into a position so our entire group is making a square. Instantly, I begin taking items out off my bag. As I do, Wynne talks to me. "Some dwarves showed up and have set up shop on the outskirts of our camp. They claimed someone named 'Alistair' gave them permission.". I groan and toss my hands into the air. "I'll talk to them later. Right now I just want to get everything else settled out.". I quickly examine the loot I gleaned from the mages' tower.

A thick black book that's bound in the flesh of elves (I'm assuming), some Mabari 'paint' to put on Duncan, and a few new weapons and armor. I give Wynne some gauntlets and boots to offer mild protection; paint complex yet easy designs on Duncan; and hand Leliana a new and better bow. Now everyone has some decent armor and weapons. I replaced my own sword with a bigger one and donned the heaviest chainmail I could find back at the tower, so I'll be good to go for a while. I make a mental note to give the book to Morrigan, then shove everything else in my bag to sell for later. Finally, I'm free to discuss the current situation with my team.

"We can head to Redcliff and wait, or chase after Alistair. Honestly, I want to go with Alistair. He seems like the kind of person that'd get himself into trouble.". Wynne shrugs in indifference, Duncan barks in complete agreement, and Leliana nods before saying something. "I'd like to eventually visit Denerim after that.". I nod. "We'll visit Denerim in between getting Alistair and going to Redcliffe.". Leliana smiles in content and I spell out our plan. "Tomorrow, I'm going to go find some horses for you two. There's an inn nearby, so I should be able to get a few. Alistair took all of ours, so we'll have to make due with whatever I can find. Then, we need to go and get to Orzammar as quickly as we can.".

Nods of confirmation from my team. "I have no idea what we'll do there, but we'll find Alistair. Finally, I'll lead us and do whatever needs to be done. Hopefully, Alistair hasn't fucked up too badly in my absence.". I look around at all of them. "Anyone have any questions?". Everyone shakes their heads. "Alright. Now go get some sleep. I'll be preparing breakfast in the morning.". An odd pride fills me as everyone settles down (Wynne returning to her tent first) for the night and follows my orders. My happiness at being a warden briefly faltered when my order was nearly destroyed, but now I feel no shame in what I am. I look over at Leliana and try to stroke a fire against humans.

It still comes to me, but it's duller. Like I'm willing to talk to a human before killing them. Now I feel bad for how I've treated Alistair and Morrigan. Not because I like them or trust shem (that aren't Leliana), but because I'm certain Leliana doesn't enjoy watching me treat her fellows cruelly. Maybe when we're all together I can make it up to Alistair and get to know Sten better. Morrigan seems to like me and I have that book I intent to give her (it seems right up her area of expertise), so I don't have to worry about her so much. However, there's still the issue of the dwarves apparently setting up shop right outside of our camp.

I prepare myself mentally, step outside the tent, and find the dwarves with their cart a few feet from my tent. I sigh, spit to the side, and strut over to them. Instantly, the older dwarf shies away. The younger one just stares at me with a blank expression. Finally, the older one manages to gather up the guts to talk to me. "Hello! We're-". I cut him off. "Merchants. Aren't you?". He nods. "Why are you here?". He shudders as he speaks. "We wanted to follow a warden, but the warden we found turned us onto your trail. He said you'd have lots to sell and buy.". I roll my shoulders and motion at him. "Show me what gifts you have.". He begin digging through his cart as I count my coins.

Thirty gold, fifteen silver, and ten copper. Enough to buy whatever I want. The dwarf lays out all of his gifts and I place three gold down in front of them along with five silver and a copper. The man scoops the treasure up as I take every single gift he has. I even buy a few 'specialty' items. Like a lute for Leliana, charm for Wynne, stick for Duncan, etc. Things my group will love more than anything else in their entire lives. I even buy gifts I know nobody will like just in case I have use for them. Like a bag of wine and some brandy. I carefully place the gifts up and consider if I should sell anything. Quickly, I decide to lose some of my junk.

I hand over some weapons, armor, and other items I'm not using. The dwarf frowns and reluctantly hands over twenty gold for all of my items. I take the coins and smirk. My carry weight is now almost nothing and I have a decent amount of coin to spend if the need arises. I do a quick mental check of everything, then return to my tent. Leliana's moved our sleeping mats together, but Duncan has wedged himself in between the two. I bite my lip and make a rash decision to get things ready tonight for tomorrow, so I can sleep in tomorrow before making breakfast. I strip down to my undershirt and undershorts, put down my weapon, and take off my shoes.

I'm not much of a rogue, but my mother taught me the very, very basics. I was never very good at it (which is why she chose to teach me her warrior skills), but I was decent enough to be able to sneak up on the occasional drunken shem that wandered into the elven areas of Denerim. That's when I'd show them the warrior skills my mother taught me. However, tonight I won't need to slit anyone's throat. Now all I need to do is sneak up to some horses without spooking them into running or braying in terror. Shedding my bulky armor and weapon along with my shoes will make my goal easier to achieve.

I slide out of my tent and begin returning to the Circle Tower. My feet get filthy along the way; however, I've built up enough callouses due to my lack of proper shoes (prior to a few weeks ago) that my feet don't pain me. Without any enemies to fight or traps to walk by I'm able to make it back to the Circle Tower's shore within a few minutes. Thankfully, 'The Spoiled Princess' is packed. Lights are still blazing inside, dirty songs are leaking out as loudly as if the singers were right beside me, and I can see figures dancing with drinks in their hands through the window. More importantly, there are at least fifteen horses tied up around the building. I quickly see some that are tied to a tree off to the side because every tying pole is occupied.

There are five of them and I only need two. Unfortunately, I'll have to untie all of them and just hope that the three remaining ones don't wander off into the woods. The reason is because they're all tied together and I can't let anyone know there was a thief here. Thus, all of them need to be released to make it look like the rope was just lose and came undone. I take two by their leads and begin guiding them away. My heart aches as two of the three remaining ones begin slowly wandering into the woods, but I can't do anything about it.

As I lead the horses back to camp I briefly consider going back and getting the one that remained. Then, I decide against it. Leliana is Orlesion and Wynne sounds like she's lived a long and full life, so both of them probably know how to ride a horse. I, however, have no idea how to ride a horse because one of the three main rules about elves in Denerim. An elf with a weapon is to be beaten; an elf that goes against a human is to be beaten; and an elf with 'human' luxuries is to be beaten. A secret fourth rule is 'If you wanna beat up an elf for no reason at all, then go right ahead.'.

I didn't listen to any of the rules because I proudly wore a sword at my belt, went against any human I could, and had as many 'luxuries' (like human whores and leaving the walled off area of the city meant for elves); however, I was never daring enough to ride a horse. Riding with Duncan to Ostagar was my first experience, and that was with a trained horse that mostly ignored my commands in favor of following Duncan's steed. Besides, Duncan the Mabari handled me fine and listened to me well. I've reached the clearing during my daydreaming and go to work. I tie the horses up and do one final thing before going to bed. If I'm going to ride Duncan, then I need him to be calm. Smearing some of his paint on me should help him keep a level head.

A quick examination of the clearing reveals I'm alone because the dwarven merchants have gone to bed, so I quickly get naked. I dig around to find the paint I used on Duncan. Carefully, I rub some on the sides of my face, around my neck, around my wrists, around my ankles, down the length of my stomach, and covering my breasts. I made sure to rub the areas that'll be pressing against Duncan.

I briefly consider rubbing some on a certain part of me, but I eventually settle for painting some on my inner thighs and leaving it as that. Hopefully, Duncan will smell his own paint and mine and realize it's always just me. I quickly add a few more drips of scarlet paint to my arm and legs. Finally, I've painted every area I want to. I allow it to dry, redress, and slide into my tent. I've done so much I'm out before my head even hits the pillow.

* * *

 **Note: Thank you for your patience. I'll return to the normal 'one week' updating rate.**


	24. Zevran

The sun is barely peaking over the horizon when we pack up and begin heading towards Orzammar. I can feel the beginning of a pounding headache in the back of my skull and behind my eyes. I slept for less than an hour before another nightmare awoke me. I tossed and turned for the rest of the night without getting a wink of sleep. I can hardly remember the nightmare, but it installed such fear and terror that I continued to feel fear pumping through my veins hours later. I can only hope that riding will help take my mind off of things. Leliana rides up beside me on her pure scarlet steed. I offer the woman a passing glance. Her entirely leather set is tight on her and I can see her picking at it. _I'll need to get her a better set soon enough_.

Her whitewood bow catches my attention. _And a better bow. She definitely has the worse equipment out of all of us_. Wynne trots up on her white and cinnamon colored mare and smiles at me. She's wearing some ridiculous cowl, the red robes she's always worn, and my leather gauntlets and boots I gave her. I can't tell the type of staff she carries; however, she looks decently equipped. For a mage. I quickly check on the final member of our party. Duncan is nosily panting below me and occasionally attempts to turn his head in order to shower me in Mabari kisses. I reach for his ear and give him a good, hard scratching.

My Mabari wags his tail and looks up at me. Two red circles around his eyes are just part of the array of varying size circles that litter his body. I smile at my friend before pushing against the back of his neck. Duncan begins jostling forward without a care in the world. It's hard to hang on to him; I'm knocked around with every single step he takes; and my feet are almost brushing the ground. I bite my lip and awkwardly position myself so I'm almost lying horizontally along the length of his back. Finally, I get into a somewhat comfortable position. My feet are near Duncan's hindquarters while my arms are securely around his neck. Now all I have to do is rest my chin on my shoulder and use my head to steer him.

Leliana is the first to speak. "Tabris?". I grunt. "You look ridiculous.". I grunt again to show I've heard her. "You honestly look like something an Orlesion lord would hire to strut around his party to mock Fereldens.". I sigh and continue leading Duncan through the woods. I know I look stupid, but I choose to ignore Leliana. Talking to her would only lead to her trying to get me to ride a horse. I guide my Mabari through the thick underbrush that's collected beneath the tremendous towering sentinels that make up the forest we'll need to cross through to reach the Frostback Mountains. We manage along for about an hour or two before something odd happens.

A rough, hardly-used trail manages to break through the terrain. I'd intended to ride by it without a second thought, but a shem woman screaming and flailing her arms causes me to stop. I still want to ride by; however, I know Wynne and Leliana will want me to check out what's going on. I ride Duncan over and try to look less stupid than I already do. The woman's dark hair is ruffled and her peasant's clothing is messy. "Please, you have to help! Bandits have attacked!". I nod and watch her go, but don't follow. Instead, I make a comment to my team. "Not a single cut or bruised on her. And, she's rushing right back into the midst of the bandits without even seeing if I'm following her. Get your weapons out and be sure to have them trained on her.".

Wynne takes out her staff while Leliana notches an arrow in her bow. Carefully, I reach behind me and ease my tremendous silverite sword from my back. The word 'Yusaris' gleams around the handle as I silently prepare to crack some heads open. I ride Duncan forward until I see a small clearing with hills ahead of us. I slide off of my dog as my fellows do the same. Our horses are quickly tied up while Duncan bares his teeth in a fearsome snarl. I offer another piece of advice as we entire the clearing. "Be prepared to take no prisoners. These men and women deserves nothing less than death.".

The area the woman leads us to is a deep dip in two hills with ten winding paths running through the entire field. The 'helpless traveler' leads us directly into what I was fearing. A wagon is turned over while its three owners and two cows are on the ground with their throats slit. An elven man is sitting atop the wagon with two daggers he's rubbing against one another. I crane back my arm and get ready to attack. That's when ten archers hop out of the grass on top of the two hills. I scream and charge ahead. My companions erupt into a fury as I lock my visual onto the unarmed and unarmored shem that led us into this ambush. Blood begins pounding in my ears as my vision blurs.

Once again, the rage of battle pulses through me and makes me deaf and blind to anything besides my target. I see the woman's eyes and mouth both widen. Vaguely, her scream of terror reaches my ears as she seems to turn in slow motion. I begin swinging my weapon and know exactly where I want to hit her. I thrust my huge sword forward into a stabbing motion. The tip of my blade pushes the woman's spine to the side, and buries itself deep inside her chest cavity before forcing itself out the front of her body. Blood splatters me and cleanses my virgin blade in its first kill. A movement to my left causes me to swing my head around.

The elven man is jumping towards me with both his daggers above his head. I sneer and open my mouth to scream. Both of his blades collide with my shoulders, but they can't pierce my armor. The man twists his face in anger and begins trying to saw through my mail. I do the only thing I can. I yank the dead woman's body (still attached to my blade) in between us. The man yanks his daggers back and screams a challenge. "Coward!". I do my best to judge where his voice is coming from, then shove the tip of my sword in that general direction. A low, loud groan and a _thump_ tell me I've hit my mark. I smirk and kick the dead woman's body off of my blade.

The elf is struggling to his feet, so I do the nice thing and help him back down by swinging my sword as hard as I can at his skull. A _crack_ resounds across the battlefield as the leader falls to the ground. My blood is filled with the rage of my life and I'm struggling to breathe, but no more enemies are alive. Duncan, Wynne, and Leliana made sure of that. My bard friend is going around and slitting the throats of the wounded survivors as Wynne and my Mabari walk over to me. Duncan has a trachea is his mouth and is nibbling it. I scratch the dog behind the ear and praise him. "Good boy! Very good boy!". My dog beams and wags his tail before swallowing the trachea in one gulp.

Wynne cringes before giving me a battle report. "You distracted the most powerful of the assassins, so we were able to dispatch the rest of them easily.". I nod and look around at the carnage. Bloody bodies litter the ground and strewn limbs are everywhere. I smirk and roll my shoulders in satisfaction. Looks like I've finally become the warrior my mother told me I was destined to become. Suddenly, Leliana calls out to me. "Their leader's still alive! Want me to cut his throat before he wakes up?". I feel my face and throat heat up at the idea that I wasn't able to kill the man. I draw my blade and begin stomping over to Leliana. "Move.". My word comes out as more of a growl and the human quickly rushes away.

The elven assassin (at least, Wynne told me he's an assassin) is laying face-first in the ground with his limbs spread out. I see a rock nearby that'll do just fine. I grab the unconscious man by his hair and begin dragging him over to the stone. He grumbles and moans in pain, but doesn't wake up as I position his neck _just_ right on the rock. I heave my sword into the air, turn my head towards the sky, and give my fellow elf a final goodbye. "Andraste, Bride of the Maker; Maker, Creator of Us All; Elgar'nan, God of Vengeance; Mythal, the Great Protector; Falon'Din, Friend of the Dead, the Guide; Dirthamen, Keeper of Secrets; Andruil, Goddess of the Hunt; Sylaise, the Hearthkeeper; June, God of the Craft; Ghilan'nain, Mother of the Halla; and Fen'Harel, The Dread Wolf.".

Leliana and Wynne nod and obviously expect me to stop. Instead, I continue. "Dumat, the Dragon of Silence; Zazikel, the Dragon of Chaos; Toth, the Dragon of Fire; Andoral, the Dragon of Slaves; Urthemiel, the Dragon of Beauty; Razikale, the Dragon of Mystery; and Lusacan, the Dragon of Night. Ancestors both mine and not my own. Ancestors and Paragons of the dwarven empire. Gods of the Qun who are unknown to me. Those who's names are forgotten and those who never claimed any name. Those who I do not know or have forgotten.". Wynne and Leliana both look confused and tired of my extended prayer, so I hurry it up.

"Hear my voice and know me. I am your child and call upon you now. Take this soul to your side, the stone, the void, or wherever you might be. Claim him and allow him to make his journey into eternity safely.". A voice below me causes me to slightly jump. "A very nice prayer. Now, may I get up?". I don't even look down. Instead, I instinctively begin moving my sword downwards. A single cry begins to ring out as the elven assassin realizes I'm about to end his life. A _snick_ puts a solid end to his screams of terror. Blood splatters my face and several _thunks_ ring out as the elven man's head rolls a few feet away from his body. Instantly, Duncan leaps and is upon the assassin's skull in less than a second.

Leliana and Wynne begin walking away as I wrestle the man's head from Duncan. I look upon his face and smile. Twisted in agony with his tattoo scrunched up. Damn, maybe I could get a tattoo. I make a mental note to ask the next Dalish I see if I can get one of their tattoos on my face. I'll just have to claim I want to be wild or some shit. I shake my head and get back to the business at hand. I tie the man's hair around my belt and run after my party. The elf's blood leaks down onto my leg and splatters my pelvis. I do my best to ignore it. Wynne and Leliana both look revolted at the fact I kept a trophy. Duncan just keeps trying to snap at it when he thinks I'm not looking. Overall, today was one of the best days so far.

* * *

 **Note: Sorry for the wait. The 4th of July is distracting me.**


	25. Past Lives

**Leliana POV:**

I examine the pot once more to make sure it's clean, then put it in my pack and begin jogging back to camp. The warden pitched up the camp along the curve of the Frostback Mountains. We reached the market outside of Orzammar a few hours ago; however, the elf wanted us to have some time to rest before meeting the king of the dwarves. I'm just glad for a rest. Duncan greets me at the edge of our camp with a sharp bark. I toss the pot towards him and watch the Mabari drag it back to the fireplace. I smile at him before checking the tents. Wynne is polishing her boots in hers and offers me a small smile, but Tabris isn't in our shared tent.

My chest tightens and a deep frown splits my face. She went to examine Orzammar (just barely inside without seeing the king) a few hours ago and she should be back by now. I'm still chewing on my worry when someone pats me on the back. I spin around and nearly take Tabris's head off. The elf winches at my almost hit. "Something wrong?". I'm about to shake my head when I see what she's carrying in her other hand (the one that didn't pat me). The poor dead man's head is still hanging and twirling like a sick toy. I take a few steps away and sit down near the fire. "I'd just prefer you keep your head away from me.". Tabris snorts and sits across from me with the fire separating us.

My stomach churns and I feel disgust fill me as I watch my love play with the deceased elf's head. However, I can't tear my eyes away from her as Tabris begins examining the other elf's head. Lifting his lips, rolling his eyes, pulling his ears. I shudder and watch Tabris pull a knife from her boot. I can't watch, but I hear her cutting the elf's hair off. Finally, when she's done I look back. A thick braid of hair is wrapped around the warden's throat and the dead elf is now bald. "Can you please stop messing with the dead head?". Tabris ignores me and whistles for Duncan. "Wait!". Duncan ignores me along with Tabris.

The Mabari grabs the head by the ear and begins shaking it like its a rabbit he caught. I stand and begin trying to work my way over to him. The dog senses me coming and bolts with the head still grasped in his jaws. The warden laughs and begins heading towards our tent. I watch Duncan disappear into the forest beside the path and shudder for another time. The woman I love just let her dog take a head into the forest to eat. I climb into the tent and try to get answers out of her. "What was that about?". The warden is taking off her armor as she answers me. "The hair was a trophy in honor of my skill in battle. The skull I'll use as a gravy boat, and that'll be a trophy in honor of him dying and fighting like a warrior.".

I have no idea why I believe her, but for some reason that makes absolutely perfect sense to me. I nod and let the matter drop without a single bit of guilt or anger at the elf. It's like I was never disgusted or disturbed at her. I even find myself forgetting about the incident as I see her strip off her soaked undershirt. Ripped back muscles covered in scars shine in the dim light of our single hanging lantern. I look around the sparse tent and see our beds have already been pushed together and our belongings are piled in one corner. So, I have enough room to work. I use my rogue skills to sneak up on the elf as she's unhooking her metal boots. I carefully reach out and wait for her to kick off the last of her armor.

Finally, she's in just her undergarments. I strike. Slowly, my fingertips run down the length of the elf's spine on either side of the bump that signals the bone beneath. The woman violently shudders before leaning into my touch. I allow my hands to roam over the expanse of her scarred back and shoulders. Hard, thick muscles line her entire body; the only ounce of fat I can find is covering the outside of her ribs. I play with her sides for a while before moving my hands around to her stomach and pulling the woman close to me. Her burning, wet back is pressed up against my front and I have a burning wish that I'd taken off my armor before doing this.

My elven woman doesn't seem to mind though. Her hands come up and twine in my hair as I press my fingers into her stomach. More muscles bulge against me as I rub her skin as gently as I can. My fingertips are merely suggestions of a touch as I rub her abs before heading upwards. Tabris is gasping and her head falls back onto my shoulder. I slide my fingers underneath her breast bindings and begin teasing her by rubbing the underside of her tits. The warden groans and turns her face away from mine. I smirk and turn my head towards her. A pointed ear is less than an inch from my mouth and I take full advantage of it. I sink my teeth hard enough into her ear that the elf screams and begins jerking away from me.

I shove my hands upwards and roughly claim her tits as my own. Tabris tries to yank herself away, but my arms- that were once loving- now form her prison. I go even farther by lifting her _just_ enough that I can force one of my legs between both of her own. Tabris, for her part, has calmed down and accepted what I'm doing. Slowly, I release her ear. Blood drips from three deep marks, but I ignore it in favor of hissing a single word into her ear. " _Rabbit_.". The warden groans and begins grinding against my thigh. Finally, I do what I planned all along. I pull away from her and watch her fall to the ground.

Instantly, the warden is flipping over. I focus on ignoring her and getting ready for bed. I don't even glance her way as I slip into my sleeping clothes and climb into our shared sleeping sack. Finally, I turn onto my side and look at Tabris. The elf is still in her undergarments, her legs are spread, and she's panting while her face becomes redder. I offer a small smile and explain it to her. "Just some incentive to get to Denerim.". She remains silent for a few seconds before shaking her head. "If you'd done that before we started heading here, then we'd be in Denerim right now!". I laugh before reaching out and cupping the side of her face. Instantly, the tone of the room changes.

Tabris's face goes back to its normal pale, splotchy color; her blue eyes instinctively close; the elf pushes her face deeper into my hand; and her breathing falls back into a natural flow. I reach out and close her legs before pulling her close. Finally, I lean close and kiss the tip of her nose. Tabris wraps her arms around me and pulls our sleeping bag over her. It takes a little positioning, but eventually we're facing one another with her face near my chest level. Both of us are tightly clinging to one another. I tangle our legs together to deepen our embrace. The warden is the first one of us to speak. "I couldn't think of any place that I'd be more comfortable than right here.".

I rub her back and feel the scars once again on her back. "May I ask how you got the scars on your back?". A deep, sharp breath from my love. Tabris slowly releases it and tries to keep her face emotionless as she explains the scar story to me. "There use to be a Tevinter man in the Alienage where I lived. He was a magister that'd been socially exiled from his homeland. He'd also developed rather _peculiar_ taste during his time in the Imperium. He was a slaver who'd used elven slaves for blood magic.". I ask a brief question that I already know the answer to.

"Did anyone try to get him out of the Alienage?". My friend shakes her head. "Nobody cared if a slaver was in the middle of elves. It wasn't their problem. Anyway, I don't know where he developed his _tastes_ from, but he had a thing for eating parts of the elves after he'd sacrifice them for power to perform blood magic. So, he offered a few silvers or, rarely, a sovereign for anyone willing to bring their flesh to him.". My stomach churns and I hold the woman even tighter. I can't imagine anyone wanting to eat the flesh of elves, but I can picture a vile slaver who's head is cracked to do so. "Everyone was stuck in poverty, so almost everyone brought him their flesh. At first, people would cut chunks of themselves out and get a few silver without any negative side-effects.".

I slowly lean forward and kiss her forehead to show her I'm there for her and listening. "Then, the slaver got greedy and lowered his prices for a chunk of flesh. People starting bringing in fingers. Then, hands and feet. Then, limbs. Each time the man lowered the prices the elves got more desperate. Eventually, we did exactly what he wanted.". I stop her with a question. "'We'?". She nods. "I would bring in strips of my flesh. However, I stopped once I cut off two toes.". I barely manage to restrain the temptation to pull back and run my feet along the woman's remaining eight toes. Just to check.

"Other elves didn't stop, though. Murder was the only option other than 'cut off two limbs'. So, that's what happened. Babies, the elderly, the young, and the sick were all targets. More than once, I'd bring in my monthly flesh and see a woman with a swaddled babe in her arms. She'd disappear into the room where the slaver sat, then leave with two sovereigns in her palm. Others would bring in their murdered victims, those cracked in the head who didn't know what awaited them, or those young and/or sick enough to not know what was going on. Slowly, elves couldn't trust other elves. An elf couldn't trust an elf, shem, or animal that lived in Denerim. Everything was dangerous and everyone wanted to kill you.".

The elven woman suddenly buries her face in the crook of my neck. I allow it and let her keep going at her own pace. "My mother was a great warrior and she trained me to be just like her. So, we went to 'talk' to him. We killed his secretary and demanded he leave. It was a mistake not to kill him. A hired thug jumped us in an alley. She killed my mother before making sure I knew never to mess with her boss. She 'collected' his fee for what we'd done by offering me a choice. She'd take my mother's body back to the slaver, or take the entirety of my back. I chose my back. That shemlen bitch cut me from shoulder to waist and weighed the flesh in front of me.".

"The only mercy she gave me was telling some passing elves that there was a dying elf in an alley with a corpse. The gods must have smiled on me because the elves she told were my cousins. They took my mother to the elder and me to my father. Then, they both went to give their flesh to the slaver. Only when they were in the room alone with him they killed him before fleeing. He was the fool that continued business as normal without any guards, so nobody really investigated his death. Thankfully, nobody liked the man enough to try to avenge him. Many elves died before him, but only one died trying to defeat him. It just so happened that one elf was my mother.". I can hear her voice cracking by the end. I hold her close. It's all I can do.

* * *

 **Note: 'Denerim's Shadow' will now be updated every 2-3 days. My other story will be the one getting weekly updates. Hopefully, 'Denerim's Shadow' improves writing wise and the story moves faster.**


	26. The Deep Roads

**Tabris POV:**

The stone beneath my feet makes my footsteps echo off of the cavernous home of the dwarves. The tremendous hallway is a half circle around a pool of lava; fine pieces of art are etched into every square inch of the walls; and a marketplace is bustled all along the length of the main commons. I look up towards the ceiling and see the cavern seemingly go on forever. Below, the lava sluggishly moves about. The dwarves scuttle about, but none dare face me save for one. A stout (even by dwarven standards) man approaches me. The hard lines on his face and his armor suggest that he's a guard. The man bows deeply to me and asks a simple question.

"You the second Grey Warden?". I nod and he grunts.

"Figured that. Your friend came by here a while ago. He's been doing favors for Lord Bhelen ever since he arrived in the city. Then, he announced he was going to go digging around in the Deep Roads to find our lost Paragon. Oghren, a warrior of ours, went with him.". I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and slowly release it. I have no idea what Alistair has gotten himself into, but it can't be good. My suspicions are confirmed when the guard hands me a note. I unfold it and find a map drawn. It leads to some thaig in the Deep Roads. I fold the paper back up and ask the man a question.

"Who did this Grey Warden go into the Deep Roads with?". The guard points behind him to where a rocky path leads off of the commons and into the Deep Roads.

"An apostate, Qunari, and Oghren. They didn't look a very intimidating force. The Warden had old and tattered gear; the Qunari didn't have any armor; the apostate was wearing rags and had a stick; and Oghren was drunk. I doubt they made it very far.". I groan and place a hand on my face. The dwarf only keeps making my day better and better by continuing.

"They've been in there about a week. If they haven't been eaten by the Darkspawn, then they're going to be running short on supplies.". I drop my hand, then throw both of them up into the air.

"Great. Now I'm the _last_ warden in Ferelden!". I shake my head and tell the guard what I'm going to do.

"I'll head into the Deep Roads. If they aren't too chewed up, then I'll drag their asses back here. _After_ we find your paragon. Whatever that is.". The guard asks an obvious question.

"And if they _are_ chewed up?". I shrug.

"I'll leave there asses there and find the paragon myself.". I look into the mouth of the Deep Roads.

"Although, we _will_ need supplies. Chewed teammates or not. Do you happen to know where I can get any?". He nods and points towards a merchant right beside the entrance to the Deep Roads.

"Ask him and he'll give you some paper to take into the Deep Roads for a few gold.". I snort and look down at the dwarf.

"What good will paper do me? I can't eat, wear, or drink paper.". He nods.

"I agree, but the paper's not the point. A little ways in there's a stand of brontos managed by his son. If you give his son the paper, then he'll give you a fully stocked bronto. You might have to pay a little more gold to get another bronto for your missing team, though.". I pat the man on the head (something he splutters and blushes at) and push him out of the way. Leliana and Wynne are quick to voice their opinions as I push through the throng of dwarves to the merchant. Wynne voices concern.

"I hope Alistair and the others are okay.". Leliana, however, voices something unrelated.

"Have you seen those cute pig-like creatures that live down here? I think they're _so_ cute!". I add my own opinion to the mix.

"I swear that every time I think 'humans aren't that bad' Alistair does something to prove me wrong.". I speak directly to Leliana as an afterthought. "If we survive the Deep Roads, then I'll buy you a pig thing all for yourself.". Leliana squeals in delight and I make myself a vow to come back from the Deep Roads purely to hear her make that noise again. Finally, the sea of dwarves clear and I'm able to get to the merchant. The balding man has an entire row of paper stubs in front of him.

Reluctantly, I slide over two-hundred silver and get two stubs of paper. I check to make sure we have enough food to keep our energy up for the walking we might have to do, then begin walking on the unpaved path to the Deep Roads. Oddly, the dwarven sentries bow to me as we pass. Maybe they realize I'm the last warden they'll ever see if my mission fails. My chest tightens and I try to ignore my thoughts of responsibility and duty until I'm assured I won't kneel over at any second. The cavernous home of the dwarves shrinks incredibly. The passage is barely big enough for a horse to pass through, the ceiling is brushing the top of Wynne's hat, and occasionally a stray rock will stick out and make the pass even smaller.

Instantly, our progress is slowed to a crawl. Passages break off every few feet in seemingly every direction. The only reason I can tell the 'main' path is because some dwarves have been digging into the side of the wall every few feet. Even then, I still feel panic rise in my gut every few seconds because I'm terrified I've led us into some forgotten path to die. Thankfully, we reach the bronto stand without incident. The tiny clearing is big enough that I can actually stretch my arms out and spin in a circle. Almost. I don't try, but I can tell my fingers would brush the edges of the cavern. Thankfully, it's still big enough for a stand and dwarf to fit without taking up all of the space.

I hand the man the two papers and he examines them under a glass device. The dwarf grunts in satisfaction after a few minutes, then disappears into one of the side passages near us. I glance over to my team and see all of them look jittery. Wynne is polishing her staff; Leliana has an arrow notched in her bow; and Duncan is pacing in a tight circle. I reach behind me and shake my sword to make it lose in its scabbard. The dwarf returning with the brontos makes all of us tense briefly, then we realize who he is and relax. The man silently hands me the reins to one bronto and hands the other one's reins to Leliana. I nod before pulling the beast down into the Deep Roads.

Our tight path quickly widens enough that three bronto could walk shoulder to shoulder and pass with easy. Although, the ceiling doesn't get any higher and we still have side passages taunting us. The side passages, however, are now easy to distinguish. I take a deep breath and slowly release it. Finally, the passage takes us into the first road in the Deep Roads. The ancient paved highway is cracked and shattered all throughout it; the ceiling far above us looks like its about to collapse; and the walls on either of our sides no longer have any side passages. I take a moment to sense for Darkspawn (none) before checking the supplies on the brontos. Food that won't perish, water enough for the bronto and us, and medical supplies.

"Looks like we'll have enough for everyone.". I look at the highway ahead of us and snort.

"The glory of the ancient dwarves almost rivals the glory of the ancient elves.". Leliana begins climbing onto one of the bronto.

"How so?". I motion for Wynne to climb up on the bronto with Leliana, then start helping her when it's clear the older woman will have some trouble.

"Both are crumbling ruins only their respective species care about. And, no matter what they do their glory will never be returned.". Leliana has seated herself in between the bronto's head and (covered) back spikes.

"That's a rather morbid view.". I seat Wynne behind Leliana (on the covered spikes) and the stack of supplies.

"It might be a depressing view, but that don't make it any less true.". I toss Duncan onto the unclaimed bronto, then get up in front of him. Briefly, I reach out and try to find more Darkspawn. Oddly, there aren't any I can sense. I settle Duncan down (the poor dog is panicking because of the covered spikes beneath him) before clipping his harness to one of the leather strips that encircle the bronto's chest. Then, I turn around and grab my bronto's reins. I check to make sure Leliana and Wynne are ready, then _snap_ my animal's reins and get him moving.

The beast trudges along without a single concern that the ground beneath his feet is crumbling and broken. But the bronto does stop when we reach the dead body of an ogre. The gigantic Darkspawn has corruption leaking from his mouth and a tremendous cut from his right hip to left shoulder. I pat the bronto on the side and carefully lead him around the creature. However, the highway in front of us is completely destroyed. And 'destroyed' means 'overflowing with lava'. I sigh and look around. The ogre's horns are pointing towards a hole he ripped in the cavern's wall to get through. I steer my bronto over and look down the path.

Darkspawn corpses litter the tunnel. I begin riding forward while explaining the situation to Leliana and Wynne. "Alistair had to have taken this path down. All we need to do is follow the corpses until we find them.". Leliana's bronto trumpets and I chuckle a little. "I take that as agreement?". Leliana laughs back. The path litter with Darkspawn isn't straightforward, but the trail of corpses leads us fairly well. The only danger is the occasionally scuttle we hear in the side paths all throughout our tunnel. The spiders won't bother us, but Duncan attempts to break free and attack them more than once. Otherwise, our travel is fairly uneventful. Well, that's actually just a lie I'm telling myself.

The path shrinks to where the bronto's shoulders are scratching against the stone (something the brave beast take in stride); my head is brushing the top of the path; and side passages begin trying to lure us down them by popping up in random places. Darkness has completely engulfed us and Wynne's softly glowing staff is the only source of light we have. With each Darkspawn corpse we past the brontos get more and more agitated. I reach down and softly stroke my animal's side. He doesn't grunt or acknowledge me. Even Duncan has fallen silent. I look over my shoulder and see he's huddled down, shaking, and has his eyes closed. Wynne and Leliana are tense as bows on their animal.

Once again, they both have their weapons drawn and ready. Slowly, I pull my own sword from my back. The _hiss_ of my blade parting from its scabbard dully echoes throughout what seems to be the entirety of the Deep Roads. Then, the heavy silence returns. Even our bronto's footsteps seem to be muffled. I find myself struggling to breathe as I once again try to sense Darkspawn. Nothing. Just the corpses _crunching_ beneath the feet of our pack animals. I find my limbs feeling heavy and cold. I realize why when the brontos stop and refuse to move. In front of us, barely visible by the light, is another (even smaller) hallway soaked by darkness throughout every inch of it. Corruption. I send up a silent prayer before forcing my bronto forward.


	27. Ancient Paths

Leliana wraps her arms around me tighter and rests her chin against my shoulder. Well, for a few seconds. Eventually, my armor digging into her chin causes her to sigh and take her chin away. For a few more minutes nothing happens and I continue guiding my bronto down the twisting caverns. The walls surrounding us and low ceiling force us to ride one bronto behind the other, and Duncan and Wynne are currently on the other bronto and fast asleep. Leliana's already taken her nap and I refuse to sleep, so we're on the lead bronto while the other bronto's reins are tied to our animal's tail. Mostly, I haven't gone to sleep because I'm the only one who'll be able to tell if we're suddenly charged by Darkspawn before they're literally attacking us.

And, my nervousness at the fact I haven't felt a single thing is keeping me wide awake and alert. The corpses of slain Darkspawn continue to _crunch_ beneath us; however, it's still disturbing that we haven't found a single living enemy. Leliana quietly whispers to me. Her voice is sucked in by the black corruption lining the entire cavern, so I can barely hear her.

"How far are we from the Dread Trenches?". We found a map in our packs a few hours ago and I've put it in a pouch near the bronto's neck (near my left thigh). I dig around before pulling the map out and looking at it.

"We went south from the first thaig and we're in the second one, so...". I take a few minutes to mentally trace our path.

"We'll need to ride for another hour before we get into the open area of this thaig, then head due east until we reach the Dead Trenches. Hopefully, Alistair and his group are in this thaig or the Trenches. If they've reached whatever's beyond that, then I don't now what we can do.". Leliana grunts to show she was paying attention. But it quickly becomes apparent that she wasn't paying attention very well. My human companion yanks on the straps on my armpits and begins trying to undo them.

"Do you mind if I take your breastplate and backplate off?". I'd prefer it on in case of an attack, but I suppose my Grey Warden senses will let me know if anything corrupt is heading towards us. And the things that aren't corrupt (Deepstalkers and spiders) make enough noise that we'll hear them coming.

"Alright. Put them behind you and hand them to me if we need them.". Leliana skillfully undoes my armor and slides it off of me while I keep myself focused on guiding our steed. When Leliana's done I take a deep breath of stale air and stretch my back a little. My thick, heavy armor has been weighing me down. Suddenly, my helm blocks my view as my love (that's an odd word to call her) takes it off of me and places it with the rest of my armor. Then, she begins running her fingers through my sweaty, dirty tangle of blonde hair.

I cringe as she touches my scalp, but the bard doesn't seem to mind in the slightest. All she does is begin untangling my hair until she can easily stroke me from crown to neck. I can't even ask what she's doing before she's moving on. Her fingers begin digging into my shoulders and attempting to work out the tension there. I allow it and feel a heavy tiredness begin consuming me. I begin shaking myself and mumble an explanation to my love.

"Don't do that. I'll fall asleep.". Two strong, confident hands begin sliding down my arms and Leliana takes the reins from my hands.

"Alright, then fall asleep.". I groan and shake my head. However, I can't fight it when Lelian begins pulling me backwards. My head rests on her shoulder and my back molds to the form of her front. Leliana chuckles and kisses my neck. My eyes have already slid close and my breathing is evening out. Leliana begins leading the bronto and speaks to me while I fall asleep.

"I can't wait to show you Denerim. I was there when I was a youth working for my old lover. I was different back then, though. I stole from the chantry, ruined a man's life, and did other unspeakable things. The only good thing I did was save an elf from the dungeons.". I idly question her with a slurring voice.

"What was the elf like?". Leliana kisses the side of my face before continuing.

"Dark skin, dark red hair, and dark eyes. She had braided hair, a thin scar on her cheek, and wore peasant's clothing. I'll never forget her. She promised to teach her daughter of humans like me, then fled the dungeons as quickly as she could. I always wondered what happened to her.". I feel my chest tighten and am wide awake.

"Did you get her name?". I feel Leliana nod.

"Adaia.". I tense up and stop Leliana from kissing my neck when she leads down.

"That's not funny.". I sit up, snatch the reins from Leliana, and curl my back away from her. Leliana reaches out and I reluctantly allow it as she questions me.

"What? Is something wrong?". I snarl.

"That was my mother! It's not a funny joke!". Instantly, Leliana wraps her arms around my waist and tries to fix the situation.

"I wasn't making a joke! It was true! Was it really your mother?". I dig around in my memories and vaguely remember something. When I was a child I recall my mother begin taken away, then showing up later that night and explaining that some escaped human prisoner had freed her.

"Maybe? I remember something like that happening.". Leliana speaks again.

"Did she tell you about 'humans like me'?". I nod.

"She told me that there were good and bad humans. She said a good one freed her, but bad ones were the ones who put her there.". Leliana takes the reins from my hands. Reluctantly, I lean back against her. Leliana is the first to speak.

"I can't believe I saved your mother's life.". I chew over the new information for a few minutes.

"I was six when that happened. How old were you?". Leliana groans and turns my head so I'm facing her neck. Instinctively, I close my eyes and breathe her in.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't remind me how much older I am than you.". My tiredness is slowly consuming me again.

"Looks like you're a cradle robber.". Leliana lightly taps my arm.

"Don't say that!". I chuckle.

"You were robbing people when I was still playing with boxes and throwing mud at people!". Another light slap.

"If you keep saying that, then I might start feeling guilty about bedding you.". I snicker and yawn.

"You haven't bedded me yet.". For a small stretch of time we're both silent. Then, Leliana mumbles into my ear.

"I'm going to soon, though. As soon as my mentor's dead, then I'll take you.". I ignore the arousing tone of her voice in favor of going to sleep. All I can do is mumble a final playful insult.

"I hope you don't do it on her bed.". Leliana chuckles deep in her throat.

"Now _there's_ an idea.". I reach a heavy hand up and lovingly tap Leliana on the side of the face. Finally, silence consumes me and I'm able to fall asleep. My last thoughts are of Leliana.

* * *

I'm woken up by Leliana rubbing my back. I've sweat an uncomfortable amount in my sleep, so when I come to I feel soaked and filthy. I roll my tongue around in my dry mouth before looking over at Leliana.

"What?". She pushes the reins into my hands and motions in front of us. I look up and see the tiny, corruption filled tunnel opens up onto another cracked road of the ancient dwarves. I lean back and kiss Leliana on the neck once before snapping the bronto's reins and trudging him forward. The beast is exhausted, but we can't stop and make camp until we're near the Dead Trenches. That way, we'll be deep enough in that I won't have to worry about anyone from the city (or even the surface) tailing us. There's a small chance that Loghain's men are following us, but it's still a chance.

"Thank you. You can go to sleep if you want.". Leliana begins putting my backplate on.

"And leave you to your own thoughts? That sounds too dangerous to do.". I scoff and begin leading the bronto through the open area. Soon, crumbling buildings are sprouting up and I'm leading the bronto through an ancient city. A winding, dusty path leads us in the right direction. Dead golemns, Darkspawn, spiders, Deepstalkers, and one dwarf litter our path. Looks like Alistair and his group came through here. And, soon if the bloodstains are anything to judge by.

I allow Wynne and Duncan to continue sleeping, but when we reach a wide bridge I'm forced to wake them up. Wynne groans and Duncan snorts, but the elderly woman is able to control her bronto and get theirs up beside ours. I begin riding my beast across the bridge with Wynne and Duncan riding right beside us. The stone structure groans underneath the animal's combined weight, but manages to hold. A dead golemn and more dead dwarves are littering the other side of the bridge. I ride the bronto over the dead and see another thick tunnel leading deeper into the Deep Roads.

The brontos are finally able to walk beside each other as they go. Thankfully, the tunnel doesn't last long and we're in another large cavern. Dead spiders litter it and another passage by the back has a table near it. I don't get off of the bronto, but lean down and snatch a map off of the table. A map to the Dead Trenches. I show Leliana the map and tell everyone the plan.

"Let's go to the Dead Trenches. Hopefully, they'll be near the entrance.". I begin leading the group atop my bronto. Leliana is the first to speak.

"Can we camp once we're in the trenches?". I shake my head.

"I've changed my mind. I want to find Alistair first. I have a bad feeling about what he's up to. I think he's going to either be in deep shit, or close to it.".

Everyone falls silent as I lead us into the Dead Trenches. The tunnel leading to it is steep, but wide and short. All our brontos have to do is stay on their feet. When we reach the bottom of the tunnel we've entered the trenches. Suddenly, Duncan barks. I glance over in time for my dog to toss me an extremely heavy and ancient helm. I laugh and slide it on (Leliana still has my old helmet behind her). I've just secured the helm when I notice where we are. The ground in front of us stops as the gigantic trench (the thaig's namesake) is in front of us.

And, a few hundred feet to our right is a tremendous stone archway. Sitting atop of that archway is something that makes my heart stop. The beast is towering over us, corruption is leaking off of him, and his eyes are entirely white. The dragon raises his head and lets a plume of green flames spill from between the gigantic swords he calls fangs. The Arch-Demon. I'm struggling to breathe when it happens. The sensation of hundreds of thousands of Darkspawn consumes me. I feel myself sliding off the bronto as I scream.


	28. Minor Sensation

**Leliana POV:**

Duncan, Wynne, and I are all surrounding the warden within seconds of her fall. Duncan is barking and yanking at her armor while Wynne begins casting all of the healing spells she knows. I heave the elf into my arms and try to look at her to see what's wrong. Tabris is twitching and has her arms curled up in front of her chest with her fingers curled like talons. Gagging and choking noises erupt from her every few seconds. Duncan, finally, manages to do something useful. The Mabari sinks his teeth into the helm my love is wearing and rips it off. I suck in a small breath and find myself holding it when I see the elf.

Her skin is pale enough I could mistake her for dead; I can see the thick, black veins beneath her face pulsating with her corrupted blood; sweat is coating her skin and makes the elf gleam; and her eyes have a thick film over them. Tabris gags and her mouth falls open. Bile and black ooze are collecting in the back of her throat. I instinctively roll the elf onto her side _just_ in time. Vomit and corruption spew from her like a damned fountain. Duncan sniffs the growing pool, but quickly whimpers and shies away. The warden's arms flop back to her sides and her breathing sounds like the bellows one would expect from a blacksmith's working area. I roll her back onto her back and try to meet her filmy eyes with my own gaze.

It's no use. The warden's eyes are rolling around in her skull and she can't focus on anything. I give up on meeting her gaze; instead, I focus on helping by taking off her armor and storing it for later. Sure enough, when her torso is free of metal she starts breathing deeper. She's still bellowing, though. Wynne stops casting spells and puts her hands on the elf's side. The older mage peels the woman's soaking undershirt up and places the palms of her hands against the sweaty, bare flesh beneath.

A calming, blue spell radiates outwards and the elf begins calming down. I examine her again. Her face has a little more color; the veins are slowly disappearing; and the film over her eyes is fading away. Slowly, the warden returns to us. Her breathing evens out and her eyes return to normal. However, the warden remains on the ground for a moment. Finally, a loud and low moan slips from her. Her eyes roll and meet mine.

"Are you okay?". It's a stupid question to ask, but I do. Tabris shakes her head and manages to tell me what's wrong. Each word from her lips is gravely and rough. Like she's fighting just to get it out.

"I feel like shit. My insides, outsides, and everything in between is aching.". She cocks her head backwards. I follow her gaze backwards. She's looking at the empty stone archway miles away from us. I saw the dragon sitting there, but it must have flown off while we weren't looking.

Tabris grunts and rolls onto her stomach. I can't even question her as she begins dragging herself over to the edge of the trench. I stand and follow her with Wynne and Duncan in tow. All of us (even the Mabari) look over the chasm. I can't even comprehend what I'm seeing. Thousands upon thousands (if not more) Darkspawn are swarming miles and miles below us. All of them are shoving and pushing one another to head in one direction. Thankfully, they're going downwards and not upwards. However, I still as a rather stupid question.

"Are they coming for us?". The warden pushes herself to her feet before shaking her head.

"They're heading to the surface.". Wynne is the next to ask a question.

"How do you know?". The woman looks uncomfortable. She doesn't answer; instead, she heads back to the brontos. Wynne lets it die as we all return to our animals and climb on. The elf begins guiding our bronto across a bridge in front of us. For a few minutes silence passes between us and the only noise is the faint screaming of the Darkspawn below. Finally, the warden explains.

"My taint allowed me to feel what the Darkspawn were feeling. For a brief minute it was as if I was one of them. Standing in the chasm and listening to the Arch-Demon commanding me. I felt for all intent and purpose as if I was a literal Darkspawn.". I feel a chill run up my spine at that. To physically and mentally feel like you're a corrupt abomination is something I can't even wrap my head around. However, it only gets worse when the warden continues.

"I knew I was me, but it still didn't feel right. I'd look around and see a throng of Darkspawn around me. None of them even seemed to care I was there. They all just looked towards the Arch-Demon and awaited his orders. And when he declared them the entire horde started howling. I don't know if it was out of joy or anger or fear, but they did. And all I could feel was some undeniable urge to join them. To throw my head back and howl with the rest of the Darkspawn. It was like the corruption in my veins took over. Made me think I was a damned Shriek or something. Then, it was just over. I was back in my own body without a single lingering feeling of loyalty to the Arch-Demon.". I look in front of me and see my love's closed her eyes. When she opens them she talks again.

"I can't sense any Darkspawn save for the ones below us.". She closes her eyes and scrunches her face.

"We're close to Alistair!". Her eyes flash open and she points directly west of us.

"I can sense him!". Instantly, I have an idea.

"Can you send a pulse or message or something to him using your connection?". The elf shakes her head.

"I can't really explain it, but Alistair and I are both like one-way couriers. We can get messages just fine, but we can't give them. So, it's like us running to one city and getting the message 'fuck you'. However, we can't give that 'fuck you' to anyone. We know the message giver said 'fuck you', but we can't go and give it back. And, unless we ran all the way to the other city we'll never know what the message was. The only way Alistair will know we're here is if he reached out. When we get closer he'll feel it without having to reach. Right now we're just way too far away. I can barely feel him right now. He's like a fly at the edge of my vision.". I sigh as my idea is shot down. The bridge suddenly ends and we're once again walking through a small tunnel.

However, this tunnel ends almost immediately. Now we're greeted by another chasm and another bridge. A group of heavily armored dwarves are rooting around and looting some Darkspawn corpses. The warden whistles and one hurries over.

"You the other warden?". Tabris nods and the dwarf points behind him.

"Your friend came through here a few days ago. Said he was looking for a paragon. We haven't heard from him, but one of my scouts reported screaming resounding off of some forgotten tunnel passages yesterday. Sorry, but he's probably not alive if he was the one doing the screaming.". My love shakes her head.

"In that case, he wasn't the one doing the screaming. I just felt his presence less than a few minutes ago. He's alive. He's stupid enough he might have gotten himself captured by Darkspawn, but I'll save him before they slit his throat.". The dwarf looks like he might not believe her, but all he does is grunt and give a little advice.

"We're camped up over the bridge and before the entrance deeper into the trenches. All of you look like you could use a break. Feel free to set up camp with us.". She makes a 'mhh' noise and the dwarf rephrases his offer.

"Or you can set up camp here. Darkspawn from the thaigs usually don't come down here because they're on the way up, and any Darkspawn deeper in the thaig can't get past us and up into this area.". The elf shakes her head.

"We need to keep going to-". Wynne interrupts her.

"I think it'd be best if we stop.". Tabris looks over at the older woman and I decide to add my own opinion.

"I think Wynne is right. The only sleep we've gotten has been while riding the brontos; none of us have had a decent meal; all of us are thirsty; and the brontos haven't been tended to since the beginning of our journey.". The warden grunts and looks around at us all. We aren't falling apart at the seams, but it's easy to tell the brisk pace has taken its tole on all of us.

For a brief second I'm afraid the woman might refuse and continue pushing us even farther. Then, Tabris slides off of the bronto and begins unpacking. The dwarf takes that as a clear dismissal and leaves us to our own. I slide off of the bronto and begin helping everyone make camp. It only takes us half of an hour before two tents are set up and a small fire is going with a pot hanging over it. We'll have to sit on the bare ground, but that's the only complaint anyone has. Wynne has already retired to her tent and Duncan is chewing on a Darkspawn corpse a few feet away from camp. Tabris is tying the bronto to a rock nearby and tending to them.

I slide over to the fire and crouch down. Some water has already been poured into the metal pot and some meat is laying nearby. I toss the meat in and sigh at the lack of seasoning or spices. All I can do is wait for the meat to be boiled. In the meantime, I watch Tabris water and feed the bronto. Both beast greedily take their fill and trumpet when their packs are taken off. Instantly, the two beast collapse and go to sleep. Tabris pats our bronto on the thick skull before heading over and crouching down to me. The woman smiles at the meat and nudges me.

"Thanks.". I wave off her thanks.

"Just doing my part to make sure all of us get a decent meal for the fighting tomorrow.". We both lapse into a comfortable silence. I'm the first to break it.

"Hard to believe this is almost over.". Tabris instantly responds.

"Hm?". I explain it to her.

"We finish helping the dwarves, talk to the Arl, and we're done. You've gathered an army. All we'll have to do is use it. You're closer to the end than you think.". Tabris frowns and looks down at the fire.

"I guess we are almost there. Although, you forgot about one important part.". She reaches over and lays a hand on my knee.

"The part where I help you face your past.". I chuckle and rub the back of her hand.

"And the part where I ravage you.". She groans and closes her eyes.

"Tease.". I pat her hand.

"I am, but it'll only make things better when they finally happen.". The elf sighs as she rolls her shoulder. Tension comes over her face as she stands and makes her way to our tent.

"I need to lie down for a minute.". I nod and go back to the food. Nothing's happening. I sigh and follow Tabris.


	29. Witch's Words

**Tabris POV:**

Each breath in is a struggle and each breath out is likewise a struggle. It's like broken glass is shoved inside of my lungs. Each rattling inhale and exhale causes my torso to throb and ache. Getting to sleep's impossible, so instead I stay awake and try to focus on anything besides the pain. Leliana has her arms wrapped around my waist and her back pressed up against my front. The position would make it impossible for me to fall asleep (even if the pain in my chest and lungs subsided), but my love's already drifted off. Duncan's pressed up against my front and his face is shoved up beside mine. The Mabari's drooling and his ears are twitching in his sleep. Carefully, I bring a hand up and scratch my dog.

However, I'm almost instantly forced to stop when my canine companion kicks out in his sleep and knocks the wind out of me. Now I'm once again lying awake and looking at Duncan. More pain in my lungs, only now it's starting to spread. An ache in my shoulder, stiffness in the base of my spine, and throbbing agony in my guts. I suck in my breath and try to hold it. All I accomplish is to give myself a headache. I finally succumb to the pain and focus solely on acknowledging the pain in my body. Quickly, all aches and pain and little sores begin screaming and making themselves known. Joint pain; sore muscles; random pain; radiating throbs; spasms; stiffness; and even more all reveal themselves.

I can't contain myself any longer. I begin violently twisting, turning, tossing, and attempting to ease the pain. The first to wake up is Duncan when I elbow him in the gut. My scarlet-painted Mabari leaps onto his feet with a _rooh_ and barks as he runs out of the tent. A scream from Wynne tells me where the Mabari went. Leliana mumbles at the noise, but wakes up when I kick her leg in an attempt to work out a stiffness in my knee. By now I'm sweating through my clothes and have tangled myself up in the sleeping bag. I hear Wynne and Duncan coming out of the older mage's tent. Leliana pushes herself up and rubs her leg while looking at me. I close my eyes and feel all of the pain and uncomfortableness will itself to escape.

I just let it happen and hear a loud, low moan slip past my throat. Leliana is instantly upon me. She tears the sleeping bag from me and lifts up my soaked shirt. "WYNNE!". The mage bursts into our tent with Duncan. "What's wrong?!". The mage kneels beside me and hisses. Leliana's voice becomes like steel. "Why didn't you see this earlier?". Wynne scoffs as Duncan begins running around all three of us and barking. "I couldn't have! She didn't give me any time to examine her! I could barely even heal her at the bridge!". Another accusation from my love. "Why didn't you heal her fully?! Why is she like this?!".

Someone pokes my lower stomach and I kick in an attempt to ward them off. My ears are starting to buzz, but I can still make out what Wynne is saying. "I just gave her something for pain to get her up and moving. I'd planned on examining her, but the chance was never given!". I kick out again to let everyone know I'm still dying in agony in between them. Wynne places her hands on my stomach. "Just give me some lyrium and I'll have her healed in a few minutes.". Leliana quickly leaves as Wynne begins casting her spells while apologizing. "I'm so sorry about this. I never even imagined the pain-killing spells would block out that much.". I want to ask questions, but all that comes out is a groan.

Wynne's spells are beginning to ease my stomachache, but everything else is still there. Leliana returns and, thankfully, asks my question. "How long has she been like this? How did it happen?". My hearing is still ringing, so it's a struggle to make out Wynne's answer. "My spells blocked out her pain. I don't think the fall did this; I think she's been like this for a while. The spell leaving her must have just amplified everything and drawn attention to old and new pains alike. I'd guess it's taken her a while to get all of these wounds. Either way, my spell just killed the pain and allowed the wounds to have their way with her.".

My ringing begins to overcome me. I flail about wildly and start kicking again. It's a childish thing to do, but I think I've earned it after this entire expedition. "Hold her!". Leliana slides up beside me and rests my head in her lap. Then, she gently takes my arms and restrains them. "You'll just have to avoid her legs.". I kick once, but the fight is draining out of me. The older mage's spells have stolen the ache in my lungs and hips. Everywhere else (excluding my stomach that's already been treated) still hurts, but I'm exhausted by now. Leliana gently leans down and whispers to me. "It's okay. Focus on something else. Can you feel Alistair?".

I reach out and feel the man closer than before. We've gained ground on him. I nod. "Alright. Focus on reaching out with your taint. Can you feel any Darkspawn?". I shake my head after trying and failing to find any. Leliana starts running her fingers through my dirty, tangled, and soaked hair. Wynne reaches my chest and starts working on that. Leliana continues rubbing my skull. Duncan, meanwhile, is trying to get me to pet him. I, however, focus on breathing in and out now that my lungs are working properly again. "Can you sense anything else with taint?". I shake my head and flicker my eyes around before they roll back into my skull. Finally, unconsciousness claims me.

* * *

 **Morrigan POV:**

I'm picking my way past some encamped dwarves when I catch the first clue as to where my fellow companions are. The scent of Tabris is clinging to one of the men doing a routine guard route. I use my ursine nose to take a deep breath before finally knowing for sure it's the elf. The stench doesn't reek of blood, so I assume they had a friendly interaction. It also means she's close by. Alistair sent me to retrieve her (the bossy little bastard), so I don't intend on going back without something to show for it. I follow the dwarf on his route and loosen my jaws a little. The dwarven encampment is in front of a tremendous bridge, but right now the side passage we're in is far enough away that nobody can see me.

I'm about to strike on the dwarf (to wound before interrogating him) when the smell of Tabris begins sliding across my face. I turn my skull and smell the trail leads across the bridge. I shake my head and change from my bear form into my bug form. The dwarven camp comes alive with screams as I fly by, but nobody bothers to come after me. However, I have to change back to my bear form halfway across the bridge in order to follow the trail that Tabris left. The path leads over the bridge and I feel a vein in my neck twitch when I see their camp is set up literally close enough that I didn't need to change shapes twice.

I approach the only tent where movement is coming from and transform back into my mortal skin. I glide into the tent and nearly get my eye taken out. The only reason I'm not killed is because I see Leliana's arm movement before she fires and step to the side. The arrow shoots outside and I have to dodge yet another attack as the elf's Mabari leaps at me. I grab him by the chest and toss him back onto the ground. Wynne is the only one who doesn't attack me. The mage is casting healing spells over the elf. _Shit_. My chest and throat both tighten and I shove Leliana out of the way to sit beside her companion. Tabris has a large cut on her cheek, her face is swollen, and she's fast asleep despite the pain.

The woman's been a decent friend so far; and, she's a lot better company than Alistair. Her death would ruin my mother's plan along with upsetting me. I knock Wynne's hands away and place my own hands on the elf. I have no idea what the elf's injuries are or what Wynne's done so far, but I know a healing spell powerful enough that it'll heal her up. It'll knock her off her ass for a day or two, but it'll also make sure she won't have any aches or pains for the next few weeks. I quickly cast the deep blue spell that flows over the elf and sinks into her skin. Wynne doesn't look pleased, but holds her tongue as she beats a hasty retreat.

Duncan quickly follows her. I begin to examine the elf and try to figure out what's wrong. Meanwhile, Leliana goes around to her other side and intertwines their fingers together. I hold in my comment, but it's more for the elf's sake than Leliana's. However, the bard doesn't bother being quiet around me. "Why are you here?". I continue examining the elf as I explain. "Alistair has ran into a monster he can't slay. The Qunari and Alistair got into a fight halfway through, so we lost most of our muscle and hence why we can't kill the beast. Some Broodmother monster that blocks the path. Alistair's been debating heading back for the last few days.

Then, he felt your group entering the Dead Trenches. He sent me back to get the muscle required to kill the monster and continue.". I motion at Tabris to show where the muscle is at. The elf's thick arms and tightly muscles stomach show the strength I was talking about. The archer ignores me and continues stroking her elf's hand. I finish my examine and find nothing majorly wrong. I stand and tell Leliana what she'll need to do. "Give her rest and some meaty fare once she awakes.". Leliana grunts and curls herself around the elf's prone body. I watch as the two get into a comfortable position and Tabris unknowingly nuzzles up against Leliana and grumbles. I show myself out.

* * *

 **Note: My apologies for the long wait. Some personal matters have come up and I'm afraid that all of my stories will be suffering time delays. Expect this story to not get updated for a while. Most likely, my other story will finish before this one's picked up again. Sorry.**


	30. Oh, Grey Warden

Our brontos have been pushed to the extreme when Leliana and Wynne finally stop for the night. As we dismount I tell them how much longer until we reach Alistair.

"We made camp around this area a week or two ago. Considering there are no enemies, we have a leader who knows what they're doing, and we're using brontos instead of walking; then, I'd say we'll catch up to the group tomorrow.". Tabris stumbles off of the bronto, leans on me heavily, and slurs a question at me.

"What's Alistair doing anyway?". I guide the woman to the ground and kneel down beside her. The elf sits on her ass and looks up at me with wide, glazed eyes.

"Alistair is camped outside the Broodmother's lair. Each day, he tried to get Oghren, Sten, himself, and me to defeat it. Nothing worked and Sten left, so now he just sits outside the gate and goes through supplies. I'm not sure what he's trying to accomplish: if anything.". The elf frowns before collapsing backwards until she's lying down on her back. Leliana joins us and lies down beside the elf. Wynne, meanwhile, is complaining while setting up the camp completely by herself. I glance around the large, barren circle of land that's towering above a river of lava. Two bridges are the only way onto where we are. Currently, Duncan is patrolling the way we're going to go tomorrow. I flick my wrist and an invisible glyph forms along the lip of the bridge that we used to cross onto the land. Perfect. For now.

* * *

 **Tabris POV:**

My friend stands and gives the entire camp a warning.

"I've made a magical trap along the bridge we just came across. Don't cross it, or you'll trigger it.". Everyone grumbles a response. I'm still sitting on the ground and trying to think of a way to kill a Broodmother. Suddenly, Leliana's hands digging into my neck and back stop me. The human begins massaging me and I practically melt into her touch. Leliana giggles as I lean back into her and close my eyes. The bard gently rests her chin against my shoulder. I lean my head back onto my love's shoulder. Leliana kisses the side of my face. Morrigan ruins the moment by gagging and making her opinion on the situation known.

"I can't believe you've allowed yourself to distract from our current situation with such dalliance! Love is going to blind you and allow the Archdemon to rain destruction and misery down upon-". Leliana begins trying to rise, but I stop her by wrapping my arms around her and keeping her in place. Leliana turns her head towards mine to argue. Quickly, I likewise turn my head so our lips are brushing. Finally, I stop my love's complaints by kissing her as hard as I can. Leliana sees my challenge and takes control of the kiss. Automatically, her loving hands harden and wrap around to grab my tits. She doesn't really do anything beyond holding them and I don't get much pleasure from it.

Morrigan continues ranting for a few minutes before getting bored and walking away. I mentally praise myself for my wonderful thinking. If Morrigan and Leliana don't argue, then I've done something right. Slowly, Leliana ends the kiss/embrace and pulls away from me. I blow my love a kiss as she stands and goes over to help Wynne make camp. I attempt to get up and help, but I can't even stand up. I just keep heaving myself a few inches off of the ground before falling right back onto my ass. Eventually, I give up and just sit there. The rest of the night is mostly a blur of Leliana dragging me here and there before making me eat or use the restroom or do whatever I need to do.

Morrigan's spell is still screwing with my mind. The strongest memories I have are my face collapsing into my soup (which Leliana cleaned up for me), attempting to piss while still in my pants (which Leliana quickly took off of me), and trying to sleep while on top of Leliana (which Leliana tolerated until I started drooling). Now the spell is slowly wearing off and I'm coming back to my senses for a few hours as I did earlier. Leliana is pinning me to the ground and lying on top of me. I also notice I'm naked and wrapped up tightly in a blanket. I try to move my arms and legs, but quickly realize I'm swaddled like a baby. I pout and whisper my question in Leliana's ear.

"Why am I swaddled?". My love groans and moans before answering.

"You wouldn't stop playing with me, or yourself.". My face briefly flushes before my loopiness overrides my embarrassment. I ask Leliana another question.

"What time is it?". More mumbling and grumbling as she nuzzles her head against my chest before answering.

"Almost time to get up. You've been asleep for a few hours.". I shake my head before realizing she isn't looking at me.

"No, I haven't. I've been awake this entire time.". Leliana groans.

"No. You fell asleep after you ate, after you peed, and after you started slobbering on me. You've been drifting in and out of sleep since we took you off the bronto.". I keep arguing, but eventually I start to realize it's true. I've been falling asleep ever since Leliana dragged me over to the campfire to eat dinner. Honestly, it makes sense. It also explains the huge gaps in my memory and why I only remember 'Leliana'. Leliana was the only one caring for me. Morrigan and Wynne are my friends, but neither of them would be willing to clean my genitals up if I ended up pissing my pants. Well, Wynne might be willing. I just wouldn't be as comfortable with her seeing my naked glory as I would Leliana. Somehow, a grandmother figure is less relaxing than a wife figure when it comes to 'clean up piss'.

My thinking is interrupted by Leliana heaving me up. I blink and realize I must have fallen asleep. My love untangles me from my blanket, dresses me, and begins ushering me outside the tent. The campfire is messy and it's clear my four companions have already eaten breakfast. I start to mumble a complaint when Leliana passes me off to Morrigan. Instinctively, I shy away from the witch. Morrigan frowns before forcing an apple to my mouth. I hear myself whimper while trying to backwardly fight my way to Leliana's side. Morrigan's sinewy fingers dig into the back of my scalp and I'm forced to either stop fighting, or have my hair ripped out.

Obviously, I stop fighting. That gives Morrigan enough time to use the apple to force my jaws apart. The sweet fruit is shoved in between my teeth and Morrigan removes her hand. I stand there with my face stuffed by an apple and resembling a roasted hog. Morrigan nods in approval before _cracking_ the top of my head. My teeth connect and a chunk of apple remains in my mouth. Morrigan gives me some friendly advice as she bends down to retrieve the apple (her other hand still twined in my hair).

"I'd suggest chewing that up instead of spitting it out.". I look to see Leliana and Wynne packing up the brontos as Leliana screams at Morrigan.

"You know that's not what I meant by 'get some food in her'!". Morrigan ignores Leliana, so I quickly begin eating what is apparently my breakfast. Morrigan picks the dirty apple up and blows on it to clean it. The woman eyes me and barely waits for me to finish my mouthful before pushing the food up to me again. While she forcibly feeds me my food I hear her mumble a response to Leliana yelling at her.

"Consider yourself lucky I don't shove a carrot up her ass and say it's done. Food's in her. Technically right.". I eat quicker at the unspoken threat of getting a vegetable shoved up my asshole if I take too long. Thankfully, Leliana and Wynne begin riding towards us _just_ as Morrigan has shoved the last piece of an apple into my mouth. However, Leliana still doesn't look pleased as she picks me up and begins riding our bronto away. I can't help noticing she doesn't give Morrigan enough time to hop on with us. So, the witch is forced to share her bronto with Duncan and Wynne.

I'm sure she's complaining or someone's talking to someone, but I mentally decide to take the day off. I rest my head against Leliana's back and start humming to her. Leliana makes sure that I know my humming is appreciated. "Very nice.". Well, kind of. Honestly, she might just be saying that to avoid me saying anything embarrassing or secret. Although, it wouldn't be my fault if I did. I didn't ask for this spell to make me loopy.

Suddenly, the brontos are yanked into a halt. I cling to Leliana as she slides off of our steed. My human love turns around while grappling to pull me off of her. Reluctantly, I allow Leliana to take my hands in hers. Shockingly, Leliana sweeps me off of my feet and holds me like I'm a bride. I smile and look up at my love's face. It's red and puffed due to the fact she's struggling to hold me; however, she still doesn't put me down. I make a kissing noise up at her before placing my head against her breast. Leliana manages a weak smile before stumbling over to Morrigan, Duncan, and Wynne.

"Leliana, stop spoiling her!". I roll my head once to see it's Morrigan speaking, then return my face to Leliana's clothed tit. Leliana instantly argues.

"She looks so happy!". I reach upwards and place my hands on either side of Leliana's face. I add fuel to the flame of the argument by encouraging Leliana.

"I think it's romantic. Like you're carrying me off to bed to-". Leliana makes shushing noises and slightly shakes me. Morrigan makes a disgusted noise while Wynne decides we've wasted enough time.

"Both of you need to focus on what's important here. Now, why did you demand we stop?". I roll my head again to see that Wynne is talking to Morrigan. The dark witch in question points northward and I look at where she's pointing. A single tremendous door is open with darkness within.

"Alistair's camp is gone. That means he's inside trying to fight the Broodmother. Judging from the silence; it either went perfectly, or they're about to be killed.". I begin kicking and flailing in Leliana's arms as I form a plan in my skull. Leliana drops me to the ground and I struggle up to my knees. Leliana mumbles something that sends a pang of guilt through me.

"Like taking care of a damned baby.". I begin crawling away as quickly as I can while all three of them are busy with their current conversation.

"Should we go in and help?". I can't tell if it's Wynne or Leliana that asks the question, but I can tell it's Morrigan who answers.

"And get ourselves killed? We're a dog, two mages, a rogue, and a drugged warrior!". I'm halfway to the door as Morrigan keeps talking.

"If she wasn't out of her mind, then we might stand a chance. Right now we don't. Wynne has no armor, my offensive spells burn through my mana instantly, Duncan is a dog, and your bow is pathetic. Tabris is the meat of the meal; the muscle of the group. Without her we're toast.". Duncan begins barking and I speed up my crawling. I reach the entrance and push myself onto my feet. Leliana realizes Duncan's barking.

"What are-". Another important question overrides the current one. "Where's Tabris?!". Morrigan screams as I charge into the abyss with my sword drawn.

* * *

 **Note/Apology: There was actually a chapter in between this chapter and the other one. I made a mistake and deleted it to write this one. I only discovered my mistake when everything was done. Hence, the large skip. I'm sorry, but I won't make this mistake in the future. All that was missed was Morrigan testing how deeply the relationship between Leliana and the warden is. Anyway, updates might be a little random; however, I promise Denerim's Shadow will be updated.**

 **Other Note: 'Denerim's Shadow's' sequel (set in Dragon Age 2) will be done differently. It'll be done in five tremendously long chapters. A single chapter for every Act/DLC. Each chapter will be released every one or two weeks. That's all.**


	31. Connecting Pieces

**Leliana POV:**

Wynne, Duncan, Morrigan, and I go charging after the Warden as soon as we see where she is. Morrigan transforms into a bear; Duncan starts running ahead of us; and Wynne is already beginning to cast healing spells. I begin fumbling for my bow before loading it. All four of us enter the room around the same time, then come to a halt to see what's going on. Alistair and a dwarf are both collapsed by the tremendous, hideous Broodmother. Meanwhile, my lover is 'fighting' it. In reality, she's stumbling around like a drunk and barely managing to avoid all of the attacks the Darkspawn is throwing at her. Tentacles erupting from the ground narrowly miss her heels while vomit rains down around her in a halo. The elf has her sword swung over her shoulder in preparation of a swing that's never going to come.

Morrigan roars before charging ahead. The giant, spiked bear takes a tentacle in her maw and _crunches_ it. Black blood spews from the wound before the tentacle retreats into the ground. Duncan follows her lead and begins taking down the tentacles with her. Wynne, meanwhile, casts protecting halos around everyone and begins preparing to tend to wounds. I draw back my arrow and fire at the Broodmother's face. The giant creature has been wounded from multiple assaults from before, so she hardly has any fight in her. The final straw is the warden stumbling over to the monster and beginning to climb it like a mountain.

The Broodmother screams and shudders; however, it's preoccupied with trying to fend off all of us. I keep firing arrows and trying to keep the monster busy while my love finally reaches the top. The elf pulls out her sword, presses it against the Broodmother's throat, and slices. The tentacles disappear while the Broodmother bleeds out. My love falls, laughing, to the ground. I'm rushing to her in an instant while Wynne rushes to the dwarf and Alistair. Tabris looks up at me and smiles, but her gaze is unfocused and she's struggling to breathe. I rest her head in my lap as Alistair struggles over to me. The man kneels down and asks a simple question.

"Can Tabris keep going with us? We need to finish this. We've been down here too long.". Morrigan answers before I even have the chance to.

"No. The spell is fogging her mind again. She needs rest, food, and water. Making her go now would be stupid.". I look at the dazed warden and make an offer.

"If you make Duncan stay, then I can stay with her. Duncan and I can handle ourselves, and I can take care of her while everything is being wrapped up.". The elf's face has a deep frown spread across it. She begins shaking her head while her shaking hands reach for my face.

"I wanna go!". I shake my head, take her hands in mine, and kiss the palms of her hands.

"You know that you can't.". Tabris whines while the group talks it over. Finally, everyone agrees to my plan. Tabris, Duncan, and I will remain behind while everyone else forges ahead. They're mildly concerned since I'm the only rogue and they won't have one, but eventually they decide two warriors and two mages can get the job done. For an hour, preparation is all we do. Moving the base camp into the room where I am, getting everyone patched up, and getting supplies ready. Finally, everything is where it's suppose to be and the group can head out. Duncan whimpers as he watches them go, but ultimately he realizes he needs to stay with his master. Tabris has just been lying in my lap and looking at my face.

However, I realize I should probably move her somewhere more comfortable. So, I gently place her head on the ground before heading into the tent. I make a tremendous pile of blankets, pillows, and covers. Then, I carry Tabris in to lie her down on the mountain of fluff. Instantly, her eyes close and she begins breathing deeply. Duncan walks in after a few minutes and lies down beside me. I'm currently sitting down with my legs crossed and just looking at the woman I love. I know she promised me that she would branch off after the Deep Roads and take me to Denerim to deal with my past. Unsurprisingly, I can't wait for her to finally do so.

I want nothing more than to put my past behind me and be able to enjoy my present with the elven maid as my lover. Idly, I allow thoughts of having sex with the woman to go through my mind. Obviously, I'll be the one dominating her and giving her commands. Tabris is far from submissive in her average life, but the demon showed me that the elven virgin is clearly submissive as hell when it comes to sex. I eye the warden and try to think of some of the things I can do to her the first time we'll have sex. She's a virgin, so that means I'll need to take it a little easier than normal to make sure she doesn't get put off of the whole idea.

That doesn't, however, mean I can't fulfill her desires. Some harsh words and pinning her to the ground will do good enough. The whipping and chaining will come later. After she's been shown the pleasure that lies in handing herself over to me. I sigh at my fantasies before I realize Duncan is still awake. If I was going to get any sleep, then now would be the perfect time. That way, the dog will be awake and standing guard. I curl up beside Tabris is her fortress of fluff. My arms find their way around the woman's waist and my nose buries itself in her hair. The elf mumbles in her sleep before pressing herself harder against my body. I smile as I allow myself to drift away into the darkness of sleep.

* * *

A coldness has seeped into the tent when I finally wake up. I open my eyes and look around for any threats. Our superior dog is currently asleep in the corner while my love hasn't stirred. I glance down at the elf and smile. For once, she looks like she doesn't have the entire weight of the world bearing down on her. Slowly, I reach up and run my thumb along the length of her face. How wonderful it would have been if we'd been born with different lives.

Her an elven servant back in Orlais, or I an actual sister in Denerim. No Darkspawn to worry about or destiny to fulfill. I curl up closer to the warden for warmth as she stirs in her sleep. Thankfully, she doesn't become fully awakened. For about an hour, I'm able to enjoy myself. Just lazily lying in bed with my arms wrapped around the woman I love. Unfortunately, it comes to and end when Tabris wakes up. The elf groans before fighting to get away from me. I sigh; then, I roll off of her to allow her to rise. The loopy elf sits up, looks around, and asks a question I don't know how to answer.

"Wos at?". I heave myself onto my feet before trying to calm to elf.

"It's fine. Go back to sleep. I'll get you something to eat.". The woman collapses back onto her back, but leaves her eyes open. I think that's about to best I can possibly do right now, so I exit the tent to find some food for the elf.

When I return the woman is fast asleep again. I shake my head before placing her meal of a hunk of bread with some beer beside her. Finally, I just sit down beside her and try to think of what to do. She'll definitely take me to Denerim after this (most likely while sending Alistair to Redcliffe), but what about after all of this is over? I can't possibly ask the woman to abandon her people, or the Wardens. She took an oath to help both of them for as long as she lived. Suddenly, a deep and selfish part of me rears its head. Why can't I ask the warden to do what I want to do? I've been following her about for what seems like forever. Besides, she's almost leading me into death every single day! Just asking her to take a month of two off with me isn't too bad. I nod as I look down at the drooling, twitching warden.

I'll make her take some time off after the Blight is ended. Maybe I'll just make her sit around and do nothing with me. I'm sure she'll be hailed as a hero when we're done. Making the queen or king or whoever's alive at the end pay for our vacation doesn't sound too bad. I'm still thinking about vacations and such when I hear the distant thundering of footsteps returning to camp. The other team couldn't have been gone for more than a day, so that means one of two things. It went amazingly, or we're all royally fucked from now on.

I lightly tap the warden on the stomach to get her to wake p. My love is roused instantly. The loopy woman looks around before seeing me. Her face splits in a tremendous smile and she reaches out for me to hug her. Gently, I push her arms away and motion to the food lying beside her. The younger woman seems mildly upset I won't give all of my attention to her, but begins eating like I want her to. I quickly make my exit before my love can either question what I'm doing, or (worse) follow me. Morrigan and Wynne are the first to arrive. Both women are scratched up and look tired, but are otherwise unharmed. However, I can't even question them about anything. The two mages push past me and enter the tent. Alistair and his dwarven friend are the next to join. Alistair remains while the dwarf continues stomping away. I shoot Alistair a questioning glance and he explains.

"I killed his wife. Kind of. It was mostly Morrigan. Anyway, I also said somethings that pissed him off. So, he decided not to stay.". I nod, but don't have an particularly strong opinion about Alistair or his actions at the moment. I turn back towards the tent and join my friends. Wynne is lying near the warden's bottom with the woman's legs/feet tossed over her stomach; Duncan is curled up at her head while serving as a pillow; and Morrigan is sleeping with her back to my love's front.

The position would be romantic if it was me, but instead it looks like the two are vying for 'power'. 'Power' being the softest part of the bed. Actually, that's probably exactly what they're doing. I smile before joining the pile. I climb in beside the elf and wrap my arms between her stomach and Morrigan's back. I've already slept, but I will myself to drift off again. Tomorrow won't be any easier than today.


	32. Schmooples

**Tabris POV:**

When I wake up I'm surrounded by warm bodies with Leliana shoving items into my hands. I take whatever she offers and heave myself into a sitting position. Meanwhile, Leliana settles back down beside me. I look at a plate of bread, bacon, and eggs. My other hand has a bottle of beer in it. I look around and see everyone's still surrounding me in a pile besides Alistair. He's currently lying on the floor a few feet away from the pile of friends. I take a swig of beer and try to remember what we were all doing here. It takes a few minutes, but I manage to remember the gist of what was happening. I focus on eating my breakfast while thinking about what I need to do next.

Alistair needs to go to Redcliffe and attempt to redeem himself for his failure. He can take either Morrigan or Wynne with him, but nobody else. He fucked up, so he's going to have to fix this. If that means he ends up getting his throat slit and I'm the only Warden left that can stop the Blight, then so be it. I won't allow a loser or quitter onto my team. When I'm done eating I decide to wake my team up. Duncan easily wakes up, Morrigan complains, Wynne takes five minutes to rouse, Leliana is already awake by the time I get to her, and I toss one of my shoes at Alistair to wake him up. Quickly, everyone gathers around me while I'm putting my shoe back on.

"Alright. Anyone care to tell me what happened?". Everyone turns to Alistair. The man can't meet my eyes as he recounts his failings.

"We came down here unprepared. The Broodmother stopped us completely. There wasn't even a tiny chance we could kill her. Sten kept arguing to go in, and eventually he charged in by himself when I refused to go. We don't know if he died or just left when nobody was looking, but he was nowhere in there. The dwarf, Oghren, argued with me and challenged my authority all the way through the search for Paragon Branka. We ended up having to kill her, and Oghren decided we weren't worth following. I'm assuming he's back at the bar we originally found him in.". I suck in a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and release it before asking a question.

"So, we don't have a paragon? Exactly, why did we need one?". Alistair continues to not meet my eyes as he explains what's going on.

"The dwarves had their king die, and the rightful king needed help becoming the real king. He wanted a paragon's word. Branka died, but another paragon gave me a crown to give to the dwarf I wanted to be king.". I nod to show I've heard him, then give him his assignment.

"Take either Morrigan or Wynne and return to the dwarves. I don't care what you do; just get their aid. Then, go to Redcliffe. Hopefully, you can redeem yourself.". Alistair looks like he wants to argue. I glare at him to show him that I'm not in the mood. Reluctantly, he bows his head and nods. Now, however, Morrigan feels the need to speak.

"I want to go with you.". I glance over at the dark witch who's looking at me like if I refuse to take her she'll hate me forever.

"Why? You don't know any heal-". Morrigan speaks over my sentence and interrupts me.

"I know healing spells! I just never used them...". She briefly breaks my gaze at the confession before looking back and once again speaking to me.

"Take me. You took Wynne on your last mission. Take me and make Wynne go with Alistair.". Wynne adds her own opinion to the mix.

"I wouldn't mind going with Alistair.". Alistair destroys the whole thing.

"Why do I only get one companion?! It should be even! I should get two and you should get two!". I glare for a second time and the man falls silent. Finally, I tell everyone where I'm going to go and what I'm going to do.

"Morrigan, Leliana, Duncan, and I will go to Denerim. Hopefully, we can get new and better armor/weapons, and take care of some unfinished business. We'll also stock up on healing supplies.". Leliana and Morrigan nod while Duncan just looks at me like a dog. Alistair pouts and Wynne just nods a little in acceptance of my decision. I heave myself onto my feet, clap my hands together, and try to get everyone moving.

"Well, let's start heading out. One team per bronto.". Alistair seems a little happy about getting his own bronto, but doesn't thank me. It takes everyone about an hour to pack up camp, load down the brontos, and begin heading out. Alistair takes a different path than us without any explanation, but I don't bother questioning him about anything. Instead, I just focus on my own bronto and allow my idiotic companion to go free. Leliana is the one guiding the bronto, so I lean back against Morrigan and try to strike up a conversation with her.

"So, has your spell finally worn off?". I manage to glance over my shoulder to see the dark witch nodding at me.

"Indeed. Expect a few mild effects here and there for the next few months or so, but nothing that'll make you an uncontrollable idiot that goes running at Broodmothers.". I nod before leaning forward and whispering in Leliana's ear.

"Does your offer about taking care of your old mentor still stand?". Leliana nods without looking back at me. I lean back to Morrigan and glance over to check on her. Questions are clear on her face, but she doesn't voice them. Good. That makes things a little easier on all of us. I'm not loopy during the ride, but I do manage to tune myself out for quite a while. Leliana and Morrigan argue a little, Leliana talks to Duncan, and Duncan tries to get Morrigan to give him a treat. All of the conversation are rather useless and boring due to the act none of them include me. Well, that's a lie. Leliana tries to bait me into conversation about my mother (by subtly asking 'So, why was your mother in jail when I freed her?'), but I brush her off due to the fact I don't wanna talk about that in front of Morrigan.

Morrigan, thankfully, doesn't try to bring up my mother. After a few hours, Leliana suggest making camp. Quickly, I veto the idea and tell her to keep going. The bronto has gotten a full 24 hours of rest and I don't want to stay in the Deep Roads any longer than I absolutely have to because the Deep Roads are absolutely terrible. Leliana seems skeptical of my call, but doesn't vocally say anything about it.

Morrigan and Duncan don't seem to care either way. Although, I doubt either of them have strong opinions about anything. Well, I doubt Morrigan has any strong opinions _for_ anything; I  know she has strong opinions _against_ things. I try to stay awake with my group for the remainder of the ride, but eventually I find myself lying back on Morrigan and resting my head on her shoulder. As soon as I realize that; I decide to give up and sleep.

* * *

I wake up in Leliana's arms. The woman is once again struggling to carry me. I reach upwards and tap on her face. Leliana glances down and gives me a weak smile.

"Stop spoiling her!". Morrigan, once again, advises Leliana to put me down. I nuzzle up against the bard in argument. Clearly, Leliana sides with me and allows me to curl up in her arms and continue being carried. Currently, Leliana has one hand on the back of my thighs and another in between my shoulder blades. My spine is curled downwards and my head is pressed against the woman's clothed chest. My hands are locked together on my stomach and my arms are dangling below me.

"Where are we?". Leliana struggles to answer and keep carrying me.

"Outside Orzammar. You didn't want to wake up on the bronto, so I carried you out.". I chuckle a little at the mental image of all the dwarves watching Leliana carry me out. Then, I remember a promise I made. I shove Leliana away and stand on my own. I see we're almost out of the mountains surrounding the home of the dwarves. I bark commands at my team before I run away.

"Make a camp; I'll be back!". I begin running as quickly as I can back to Orzammar. It takes me about an hour to return to the surface area of the city, run through the mountain part of the city, and find the slums where the poorest of the poor are. I find a filthy dwarf wearing rags that's standing beside a muddy pool full of nugs.

"You! How much for a nug?". The man begins fumbling for words. I toss a single golden coin at him.

"Find me the biggest, cutest nug you can!". The man gaps at the coin before running away with my coin. _I swear if he doesn't return I'll kill him._ Thankfully, I don't have to swear vengeance against any dwarves that day. The man returns with a squirming pig-like creature in his arms. I snatch the beast away and begin running back to where I came. However, I run out of steam when I reach the surface area of Orzammar and begin walking.

As I go, I take the nug in both hands and hold his little face up to mine. Beady eyes, wrinkled pink skin, and freakishly long whiskers. The nug flicks his large, donkey-like ears before reaching out to me. I swear human hands come to rest on my face, but the nug's hands are too hot and have claws attached to them. The beast's rat nose curls upwards to reveal teeth meant for chomping stalks of grass. The nose begins to wiggle and a noise comes from the monster.

" _Squeak_!". I shove the nug under one arm and make a promise to myself never to ever look at him again. Nugs are horrible, horrible creatures that don't deserve to be looked at. But if Leliana wants a nug as a pet, then Leliana's going to get a nug as a pet. The camp is already erected and Leliana is waiting for me. The moon high in the sky explains why Morrigan and Duncan didn't bother staying up. When Leliana sees me she begins stomping the fire out. I smile as I hold the nug out and whistle when I arrive in camp. Leliana looks up and lets out a squeal to rival the nug. Instantly, the nug is fighting me to get free and join his master. I release him and the two collide. Leliana scoops the nug up and begins rubbing their noses together. I walk over to them and Leliana turns to me with a smile beaming over her face.

"My very own nug!". I nod and motion towards her pet.

"Be careful. He's a nipper.". She begins rubbing noses with him while talking.

"Oh, nonsense! He's just hungry.". The nug begins kissing Leliana.

"Look, he's snuffling me! Snuffle snuffle!". Leliana kisses me on the cheek.

"Thank you so much; you've made my day!". Leliana kisses the nug.

"I'll name him Schmooples.". She begins walking towards our tent with the nug over her shoulder. Schmooples raises a single hand and clenches it twice in a sort of wave. I shudder with a single thought running through my mind.

 _Hands_.


	33. Intermission

A rolling mist is clogging the thick, vibrant forest as I push through the moist underbrush. I've been plowing along like an ox for the past three hours. Morrigan, Leliana, and Duncan are using the path I make to walk behind me. Thankfully, all of them have fallen silent. They know that I'll only scream at them if they interrupt me. Stomping down bushes, breaking branches, and busting apart piles of leaves combine to make the toughest work I've ever done. However, I have to keep doing it. Duncan isn't intelligent enough to do everything I'm doing; Morrigan is too weak to do it; and Leliana is likewise too weak to do it.

It has to be done by a strong warrior; hence, why I'm saddled with the job. I inwardly grumble at the word 'saddle'. Our damned horses disappeared while we were in the Deep Roads and our bronto can't legally be taken out of the mountain. I'm still plowing through underbrush when a scream from my right captures my attention. Duncan growls, Leliana load her bow, and Morrigan transforms into a swarm of bugs. All of us turn towards the scream and charge. Well, Duncan and Leliana follow in my wake while Morrigan flies ahead. The scene we stumble across is stomach-churning. Three genlocks stand around the mutilated, bleeding corpse of a man and his son. Bows beside the bodies and a dead rabbit suggest they were hunters, or trying to be.

I begin trying to tear through the brush towards them while Leliana starts firing her bow. Meanwhile, the swarm of bugs that is Morrigan is flying from one genlock to another to string them. Duncan is forced behind me and is barking in an attempt to get me to move faster. He even starts nipping at my heels when we begin to near the genlocks. The darkspawn have been trying to push their way towards us; however, thy're less successful at pushing through the brush. A nearby hurlock that has arrows piercing his dead body reveals how the genlocks must have been able to get this far before being stopped. Leliana takes out one genlock with an arrow between the eyes while Morrigan completely swarms another another. Finally, Duncan and I reach the last genlock. I heave my sword over my shoulder.

The genlock's blade _drinks_ off of my armored stomach. Duncan lunges forward, crushes the darkspawn's arm between his fangs, and holds him still for the killing blow. My blade _cracks_ the monster's skull in two and his vile, black brains run onto the forest floor. The last living darkspawn falls to his knees while thousands of bug-bites rise up on his flesh. Slowly, he collapses and Morrigan reverts to her mortal form. The dark witch frowns as she realizes she's trapped in a small circle of brush, then transforms into something that would have helped us three hours ago.

Morrigan transforms into a towering, spiked wall of muscles. More specifically: a bereskarn. A bear corrupted by the blight. Morrigan was standing on her two back legs, but now collapses onto all fours. Leliana quickly uses my already-cleared path to join us. I'm the first to voice my opinion.

"Really? You made me go through three hours of breaking down the whole damned forest, and you couldn't turned into that damned monster anytime you wanted?". Morrigan's beady eyes narrow as she thrusts her head into the brushes and pulls it back. Tiny cuts and bits of grass are sticking to her snout. I quickly peel off my helm and shove it onto the woman's nose. Her eyes are still narrow, but she tries it again. Now the helm will keep her somewhat safe. Morrigan pulls her bear-head back and nods at me in approval.

"Thanks. Now, can you do the plowing?". She nods and begins to turn, but I reach out my hand to stop her. My fingers brush against slimy, rough skin.

"Not yet. I want to search the hunters.". Morrigan nods again before collapsing onto her ass. Duncan walks up to her and sits down beside her. Slowly, Morrigan turns her tremendous head towards my dog and lets out a low, loud growl. Duncan seems to smile before giving my helmet (which is still attached to Morrigan's nose and mouth) a kiss. Morrigan shakes her head before turning away from him.

A rancid, stomach-churning smell hits me and I try to trace it even though I think I know where it's coming from. Sure enough, it's coming from Morrigan's current form. Blood seeping from the spikes sticking out of her explain where the scent is coming. I try to ignore the mage's smell and instead turn my attention to the dead hunters. I kneel beside them and start looting. Quickly, things don't make sense. Trowels are shoved in both of their pockets; a pitchfork is tied to the man's back; and both have corn and carrots shoved down their pants. Leliana stands beside me and tries to offer an explanation.

"Farmers fleeing their farm?". I look at the broken bows on the ground. Make of weak wood and poorly constructed.

"Most like. I imagine they were from the south and seeking to go north. Heading through the thickest part of the woods was a smart idea. Darkspawn are monsters, but monsters similar in physical attributes to elves or men. Unless they had an ogre, then most darkspawn patrols would prefer the roads over woods. Not a good sign if they're both this far north. Means the blight is spreading even farther north than I feared.". I begin trying to put the mangled, bloody bodies back together while continuing to talk.

"They probably made the bows themselves. To hunt for food when their pants ran out, and the pitchfork was going to be used to ward off any bears or wolves. I'd imagine the darkspawn didn't take them by surprise.". I look around the area at the spider-web of trampled underbrush.

"No, I'm right. The genlocks and hurlock couldn't have made a sneak attack. I'd imagine the poor farmer and his boy got that rabbit, then saw the darkspawn either coming for them or patrolling the brush. They managed to shoot down the biggest threat: the hurlock. Only they underestimated the genlock. Dad here didn't even take his pitchfork out. Just trusted that he and his boy could shoot down three genlocks before they could get to them. Only that's a bet you'll lose every single time. Genlock aren't the toughest or strongest darkspawn, but shooting down that hurlock gave them enough time to get to the farmers and swarm them. Poor bastards. Didn't even get a shot off at the genlocks.". I stand and shake my head at the bloody corpses.

"Might've made it if daddy had taken out his pitchfork and trusted his boy to wound the hurlock.". Leliana counters my argument.

"They're unarmored. He'd have had to trust his son to take down the hurlock all by himself. They needed to try to shoot them down. Distance is key when you're unarmored.". I shrug and begin walking towards the hurlock corpse using one of the paths the genlocks had made. It's a little tinier than I'd like, but I manage.

"I never said they'd survive for certain. Most likely, they'd have died either way. I'm just saying the dad needed to have a melee weapon ready just in case the darkspawn reached them.". Leliana grunts as I kneel down beside the hurlock. I find nothing of particular interest on him, so I return to Morrigan and pat her side.

"Alright, let's get going.". Morrigan begins plowing through the underbrush northward like... Well, like a bear. Duncan runs after her as quickly as he can. Leliana and I make up the 'rear guard' as we stay within sight of the two, but far back enough we can have a conversation all to ourselves. Leliana silently holds out her hand to me. I take her hand and intertwine our fingers. Leliana brings our clasped hands up to her lips and kisses the back of my hand. A comfortable, kind warmth seems to fill my chest as I repeat the motion to Leliana. My partner chuckles and makes a demand.

"Tell me something I don't know about you.". I shrug and try to dodge the question.

"I'm not very interesting. You know how my mother died and how I got my scars in the progress; you know how I faked having sex and ended up remaining a virgin because of it; and you know how I was married and brought into the ranks of the Grey Wardens.". Leliana stops walking and her grip on my hands tighten. I stop and turn to her. My heartbeat increases and I have a powerful instinct to run at the angry glare Leliana is currently using to pin me to the spot.

"Leliana? My dearest, what's wrong? Have I said something to offend?". Leliana cocks her head and an uncomfortable hardness that I've never seen before comes to her eyes.

"Don't you play games with me! You NEVER told me that you were married!". I recognize the hurt in her eyes for what it is and try to comfort her, but before I can the human runs over me with her words. "Are you still married? Do you have a husband or wife? Kids? Am I just some damned fling to you? Are you going to go running back to your spouse after the Blight is taken care of?". A familiar wetness is beginning to work up in Leliana's eyes and I quickly rush to comfort the woman in any possibly way that I can.

"What? No! Leliana, trust me! Please! I love you! I'd never want to hurt you like that!". Leliana begins yanking her hand back in a desperate attempt to get away from me. I hold fast and try to explain myself to her.

"He's dead!". Shockingly, that does nothing to calm the woman down. She begins trying to get away from me even faster. I still hold tight and explain in more detail.

"We were meant to get married and he died at the altar!". Leliana holds completely still, but I'm not sure if that's because she wants to hear what I'm going to say or if she's afraid I might make her join my late husband. I take the moment to try to get my story out before Leliana panics and our relationship is forever ruined.

"Leliana, I didn't want a husband!". She remains silent and doesn't try to fight me, so I continue with my story. However, my grip on her hand never loosens.

"My father didn't listen to me when I told him that I never wanted to marry a man. He sent money to another alienage to get passage for my groom. He eventually believed me, but it was too late. We were going to go through with the wedding, and I had just promised myself that I would never let him touch me. But on our wedding day there was an incident. Some humans came into the alienage to find women to rape. My cousin attacked them and drove them away, but they returned during the ceremony. They kidnapped me, my cousin, and all the other women to rape. My other cousin, Soris, came and managed to free me.". I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and slowly let it out. I'm debating whether I need to tell her the next part or not. Eventually, I decide that it's for the best. Honesty is the best policy after all.

"I killed even more humans as a result. Babes, men, women, pregnant women, elderly, maids, nobility, guards. Anyone that got in my way that didn't have pointed ears died. When I got home Duncan had to take me away, or else I'd be executed.". I, surprisingly, feel a wetness coming to my own eyes. Not because of the humans I've killed. Because of the one I love. I meet Leliana's eyes and beg her.

"Please, don't leave me because of it. I killed them, but I never harm you. Please. Don't leave.". Leliana pulls me in close and wraps her arms around me.

"Never.".


	34. Marjolaine

I can tell something's different that night at dinner. Well, something's different with Leliana. My human love sits especially close to me, but doesn't say a word throughout the entire meal. All of tonight's dialogue comes from Morrigan.

"Thirty. Thirty-one. Thirty-two.". Currently, the witch is just counting the quills in a pile beside her feet as she kicks them away from her one at a time. The other woman has been quick to remind me that Leliana and I were 'fraternizing' in the woods while Morrigan and Duncan had to handle a situation with a porcupine. Apparently, Morrigan had ran right into the beast when he was hidden in some underbrush. He'd already been chased off when Leliana and I returned; however, both Duncan and Morrigan had to have several quills pulled out of them.

Duncan whined and whimpered when we were taking them out, but Morrigan's been complaining ever since. Hopefully, she'll get over it by tomorrow morning. My main focus at the moment, however, is Leliana. We've camped out in the middle of a gorgeous and serene clearing, so I'd assumed the bard would sing or say something about it. Instead, she's just sitting with her shoulder against mine and silence consuming her. I've considered rousing her to join the conversation, but at the moment I'm trying to both eat dinner and scan the surrounding woods for dangers. The encounter with Darkspawn earlier has me somewhat on edge as I examine the woods.

The underbrush is still thick (with only a small path Morrigan made trampled down); the trees are still within inches of one another; and a thick, dark canopy above us testifies to interwoven branches and leaves. Our tiny campfire is the only light within the entirety of the pitch-black forest. I've been keeping my ears peeled for any noises. Disturbingly, not a single hoot or howl has reached my ears since we set up camp. I reach out with my taint and feel the forest throbbing and beating around me.

The Blight has arrived, but not its masters. No Darkspawn or Archdemon inhabit the woods; just the Blight itself. Most likely the sickness was left with Darkspawn traveling through/being killed or corrupted animals passing through/dying. Duncan and I won't be harmed since we've both been exposed to the Taint (me through my Joining and Duncan through his consumption of Darkspawn blood), but Leliana and Morrigan are at risk. I sit down my empty bowl which once contained a dinner of grey stew, then motion with my hand for Morrigan to fall silent. The witch looks offended I've stopped her from counting her quills to me, but falls silent. I glance at Leliana to see her already looking at me, then begin to speak.

"Tomorrow, we need to leave as soon as possible. I feel the Blight in the trees and ground. Don't drink any water you come across; don't eat any vegetables or animals you find; and don't sleep on the ground itself.". Morrigan is the first to question my logic.

"We've been sitting here for the last few hours. How do you expect to undo the damage from that?". I hold in the urge to roll my eyes as I explain it to her.

"You're armored and clothed. Having your bare flesh against corrupted dirt for eight or ten hours straight is what will harm you. Just having your shoes sitting on the soil will not kill you.". Morrigan falls silent as I defeat her complain. The witch puts her bowl down, heaves herself up, and goes into her tent. Morrigan attempts to shut it in time, but Duncan's joined her before she's even begun tying the flap closed.

"Stupid mutt!". Duncan barks in return and I smile as I notice Morrigan doesn't try getting rid of him tonight. The pooch must be growing on her. I stand and begin cleaning. Mostly, it's just picking up my companion's bowls. When I have three of the bowls I go over to Leliana and hold out my hand in offering. She smiles before handing over her almost-empty bowl of stew and questioning me.

"Do you want to put out the fire?". I notice she doesn't offer to do it or add 'or me' to her question, so I assume she doesn't want to do it. And, I'm not one to make Leliana do something she doesn't want to.

"I'll get it.". Leliana smiles before slipping off into the darkness at the edge of our camp. Quickly, I stomp and stamp the fire out of existence. Darkness consumes me and I hurry to the tent that I share with Leliana. A single light is shining from one tent, so I assume that's mine and Leliana's since Morrigan's already retired for the night. Thankfully, my guess was right. I step inside the tent that's being lit by a single hanging lantern, but the sight before me causes me to pause at the entrance. Leliana's bare back is exposed for my viewing pleasure as she fiddles with the lantern's light. My face becomes hot and my eyesight falls down to the tips of my toes.

"Leliana!". I say her name in an attempt to make her aware of my presence. I expect her to be startled or say my name or something of the sort. I certainly wasn't expecting the woman to make her way over to me. Her toes come an inch or so away from mine. Then, her delicate hands grip my jaw. I see a brief flash of her tits as she lifts my head up to look me in the eyes. The little flash combined with the fire blazing within her eyes is enough to cause my entire face, neck, and shoulder area to begin burning.

" _Leliana, I-_ ". The human pulls me into a kiss with crushing force behind it. There's no tenderness or love in her kiss. Just a raw, primal urge to dominate. When she pulls back she whispers into my ear.

"I can't wait to fuck you until you're crying for me to stop.". She slides away from me and begins retiring to her sleeping bag.

"After Denerim.".

* * *

 _I'm going home._ My heartbeat is racing and I'm struggling to breathe as I walk through the gates of Denerim and into the bustling marketplace. I honestly can't control myself right now. I was promised when I left that I'd be able to return in roughly ten years or so to see my family one last time for closure. Now it's hardly been a year and I'm walking trough the gates as a free woman. Leliana sees me shuddering and is, obviously, concerned.

"Are you okay?". I nod, but my excitement only grows as I realize I can visit the Alienage. I can see my father, cousins, and friends again. Suddenly, the cold water of realization washes over me as I remember Leliana beside me. If I told her to stay quiet about us, then she would. However, that'd make her angry and hurt. But if she says something around my family and friends, then they might mock me or be disgusted by our relationship.

However, Leliana won't be angry and hurt. I could always tell Leliana to go back and wait at camp, but that's suspicious as hell. Besides, Morrigan could ruin the whole thing by blurting out how I love a human. Sending both Morrigan and Leliana back is suspicious as fuck. Sending Leliana, Morrigan, and Duncan back is asking to be mugged. I'm still chewing over my options when Leliana voices something.

"Over there! That looks like where Marjolaine would choose to hide!". I follow where she's pointing and walk over to the tiny shack.

"Are you sure?". Leliana nods and motions for me to go inside.

"I'm certain.". I have no idea how she's certain, but I don't question her as I step inside. I've barely entered a tiny room when two qunari lunge for me. I manage to dodge their axes and headbutt one in the chest. The man stumbles backwards and I strike. My sword cuts through his shoulder and lands deep inside his chest. Blood spurts onto my helmet while the tremendous man slides to the ground.

Duncan, Morrigan, and Leliana have already dispatched the other qunari. All of us sheathe our weapons, but I'm the only one to open the only other door besides the exit. This door leads into a medium sized sitting room with a single woman standing beside the fireplace in front of us. Her robes, neatly done dark hair, and lack of wrinkles suggest she's nobility. Sure enough, when she speaks her Orlesion accent is terrible and her nose is turned up in a sneer.

"My Leliana, you returned to me!". Leliana stands beside me with her back straight in defiance.

"Cut the act, Marjolaine. I know about the assassins.". The older woman laughs and scoffs.

"Assassins? No, merely messengers. I needed to make sure you'd come to me.". Now it's my turn to speak in defense of my closest friend and teammate.

"'Messengers'? Really? You think we'll believe that?". I feel myself break under her cruel gaze as her sneer deepens. My head bows and my knees threaten to buckle.

"And who's this Ferelden dog-lord that you've brought with you?". Duncan standing at my other side really doesn't help with the whole 'dog-lord' bit. Thankfully, Leliana speaks out for me.

"She's my friend.". Leliana seems to hesitate for a minute before reaching out and grabbing my hand.

"She's my love.". I can't help it. I stick my tongue out at Marjolaine while returning my gaze back to her when I raise my head. The Orlesion woman rolls her eyes before speaking directly to me.

"Surely you don't think Leliana's loyalties lie with you, do you? She's a bard. Her loyalties can be changed at the drop of a hat.". I squeeze Leliana's hand.

"The Blight is what concerns Leliana now. Not you.". Leliana nods and begins speaking to Marjolaine.

"I'm done with the chapter in my life that involved you.". I bring important information to Leliana's attention.

"She won't stop dogging you as long as she lives.". It's meant as a warning, but Leliana takes it as initiative.

"You're right.". Her hand is ripped away from mine as she loads an arrow. Marjolaine's face twists into a look of pure rage as she lets out an ear-piercing howl of anger. Instantly, two more qunari bursts from the doors on either side of her as two mages remain in the doorways to rain spells down upon us as the battle begins.

I have no idea why I'm considered the biggest threat. Maybe it's because I'm a warrior. Maybe it's because I'm the first one to get to Marjolaine. Maybe all of them don't like elves. All I know is two fireballs hit me, an ax digs into either of my shoulders' armor, and Marjolaine punches me dead in the center of the face. In the meantime, Duncan sets off a trap in front of one of the mages while Leliana and Morrigan both team up on one of the qunari warriors.

I can't attack as the qunari with his sword to my left is shot down by Leliana and Morrigan. That doesn't help me, however, as Marjolaine, the unoccupied mage, and the remaining qunari attack me again. Another punch that _cracks_ my nose, a blow that _pops_ my shoulder, and another fireball to the stomach. I collapse to my knees as Duncan kills the mage he was fighting and Morrigan and Leliana kill the other qunari warrior.

"Little help here.". A third _crack_ to my face that makes me fall onto my back. Duncan activates the trap in front of the last surviving mage and Morrigan and Leliana begin shooting at the mage.

"Guys!". Marjolaine straddles me, lovingly takes off my helm, and gives me the sweetest smile imaginable before punching me in the face again.

"Really?". My question is gargled through blood as the final mage falls.

"Don't mind me over here.". Marjolaine is thrown off of me as all of my team attacks her, but not before she _cracks_ my nose again.

"Finally.".


	35. Together

Leliana grabs my hands and yanks me up to my feet. Marjolaine is lying five feet away from me with burns, bites, and arrows littering her corpse. Leliana tenderly kisses my forehead between my eyes, then _snaps_ my nose back into place. I cringe, but mumble my thanks. "Appreciate.". I pat my love on the arm before beginning to loot the place. All I find of worth is a sturdy bow in the back room. I give Leliana the bow the second I find it. My love smiles and begins equipping it. Meanwhile, I turn towards Duncan and Morrigan. "Can we have a moment?". Morrigan nods before dragging Duncan away. I look back at Leliana to see she's strapped the newer, better bow to her back and discarded the older one.

"Leliana.". The bard looks at me with a small smile on her face. I motion to the carnage around us. "Are you okay with all this?". Her smile turns into a frown before a deep sigh passes her lips. "I suppose. Only now I'm afraid.". I cock my head and she continues. "I enjoyed killing Marjolaine. I shouldn't feel joy in her suffering. It's wrong.". She looks over at her mentor's corpse and shakes her head. "Only someone like her would find pleasure in bringing about someone else's death.". She looks at me and takes a few steps towards me. "Marjolaine always said that I was like her. What if she was right? What if I'm the same as her?".

I think about it for a moment. Leliana should enjoy who she is, but apparently she's letting me decide who she is for her. So, I try to take a neutral route. "I think that's something only you can answer.". Leliana's eyes harden and she doesn't seem pleased with me. "You know me better than anyone! Please, tell me if I'm slipping!". Telling her she's slipping would, obviously, make her unhappy. I don't want her to be unhappy. I'd prefer not having a say in who she'll become, but I don't have a choice. So, I go with what will make Leliana happy. "You aren't slipping. You are who you are. Don't make any apologies for that.". The hardness in Leliana's eyes doesn't disappear, but she nods. I look over at the bloody corpse of Marjolaine and try to keep the conversation going. "So, any unresolved feelings about Marjolaine's passing?".

Leliana looks at her mentor as a deep scowl controls her face. "I suppose there isn't. I just prefer to remember her as she is instead of what she became.". She falls silent and I quickly nudge the conversation along. "She was special to you, wasn't she?". She nods and meets my eyes. "I loved her with all my heart. She was the most important person to me.". I bow my head and try to remain humble. "I can only hope to one day be as special as she was.". A gentle hand rests on my jaw and Leliana pulls me head up until we're looking into each other's eyes.

A smile is spread across her face. Still, the hardness and coldness has not faded from her eyes. "My dear, that day has already come and gone.". I smile and Leliana kisses me between the eyes once again. However, her lips trail down and capture mine in a kiss. I allow my dominant partner to completely control me. Leliana's hands grip the back of my neck in a strong, unbreakable grip; her soft lips are pressing in against mine with unheard of strength; and the woman's tongue eventually forces its way into my mouth. Her hot, slick flesh rubbing against mine coupled with her tongue controlling my mouth quickly have me. I melt into her touch and Leliana begins yanking me towards the bed.

Unfortunately, she trips over Marjolaine's body and we both half-fall/half-stumble away from each other. I end up smacking into the bed with my stomach and Leliana falls to her knees on the floor. I manage to stand up before Leliana, and when she stands I remind her of the original proposal. "You promised to ravage me in bed. _My_ bed. Not Marjolaine's.". I look at Leliana to see her smirking while motioning to the bed I'm already on. "Come on. It couldn't hurt.". The human begins stalking towards me like she's a wolf and I'm an injured deer. "Leliana.". The woman pouts like a baby and grumbles, but relents and doesn't try anything.

However, Leliana does begin yanking me out of the house rather forcefully. She only briefly leans in to whisper to me. "Tell Morrigan and Duncan that they have a few hours of free time in the market. That should give us enough time to enjoy ourselves.". I nod without even thinking of the consequences. Morrigan and Duncan are both sitting outside the house waiting for us. I toss my human friend a sack of gold and tell her and Duncan what to do. "Both of you are free for a few hours. Leliana and I need to go get camp ready.". Morrigan gags to show she doesn't believe the lie, but stalks away with my gold. Duncan quickly follows her. "Stupid mutt!". Morrigan says the term with affection as the two disappear into the market.

Leliana drags me through the darkening street with confidence and impatience. I struggle to keep up with her as she exits the city and guides me back to our camp. The sun has set by the time we return, and Leliana begins talking the second she releases me. "The stars are out tonight.". I look upwards before nodding in agreement. I turn my attention back to Leliana as I talk. "Yes. For once it's a clear night.". Leliana's smile is soft and welcoming as she speaks. "It's nights like these I love the most. Standing guard with you. Talking into the late evenings. In moments like those I think the Maker must have meant for us to meet one another.".

I hold in a scoff, but playfully tease my love. "I'm a gift from the Maker now, am I?". Leliana doesn't back down. Instead, she nods and defends herself. "Love is the Maker's greatest gift, isn't it?". I know I love Leliana, but it's still a surprise to hear the woman say in. Hence, my first (idiotic) response. "Love?". Leliana nods and takes a single step closer to me. "That warm feeling that envelopes you like you're sliding into a warm bath of pudding.". I have no idea why my stomach rules the night, but the beast inside me growls and instantly demands a sacrifice of delicious pudding. My mouth waters and sex flees from my mind. Any sexy response I could have had dies as I say the first word that comes to my mind.

"Mmm... pudding.". Leliana takes a deep breath, holds it, and slowly releases it. A sickly smile is still stuck on her face as she talks to me. "Oh, I have tales of pudding like you would not believe... perhaps we could retire to my tent and I could regale you?". _Fuck, I don't want to hear stories about pudding all night! Damn it! I fucked up and now she doesn't want to have sex with me! I have to think of an escape, and quick!_ "No, thank you. I think I'll stay up and write in my journal.". Leliana is tapping her foot and her head is slowly tilting to the side. I can see all of the teeth in her smile as she keeps talking.

"I didn't know you had a journal, or wrote in it regularly.". I already have another excuse ready. "Today's a special day and I want to make a special entry.". Leliana's face drops into a near-snarl as she finally stops the game. "Perhaps you and I can go into the tent together when you write. I could watch and make suggestions.". She takes one more step forward until she's towering over me with her face barely tilted downwards to look me in the eyes. "Dear Journal... Leliana has shown much affection for me. Even asked me to come to bed with her, but alas, subtlety is lost on me.". I nearly choke on my tongue as it all falls into place. My face begins to become red.

I want to have sex, but I still find myself stalling. "Leliana, you're sure?". Leliana reaches out, grabs one of my ears, and twists. I moan as my eyes close and I lean into her touch. Leliana leans in and hisses into my untwisted ear. "Yes. I'm absolutely sure I want to take you inside out tent, bend you over, and fuck you into the ground.". My heartbeat is through the roof and my entire upper body is hot. I whisper a warning to my soon-to-be lover. "Leliana, listen. I'm a virgin, I don't have any clue as to what to do, and I'm not sure I can-". Leliana adds a tiny more twist to my ear to silence me before whispering in my ear again. "I don't give a shit. Tonight I'll get myself off by fucking you until you're raw. Now, get in the tent.".

I hardly have any say in the matter as Leliana drags me into the tent. My love turns me towards the door and gives a command. "Tie it shut. I don't want anyone or anything coming in.". I begin tying the tent up while Leliana lights a single torch. When I turn around my love is placing the torch to the side. Leliana sits down, turns towards me, and motions me over. Cautiously, I walk over. Instantly, rough hands are ripping my armor off and casually tossing it to the side. I can't meet her eyes as my naked, scarred body is put on display. Leliana only hums before heaving herself up. I can't even ask what she's doing before the human snarls a threat.

"On your knees.". I collapse onto my knees, slide onto my elbows, and rest my forehead against the ground. A deep, booming laugh. "Good little bitch!". A sharp _smack_ across my ass for my efforts. More laughter. I nearly jump out of my skin as Leliana drags hot, rough fingers through my dripping sex. "Damn, already wet. All I've done is smack you around a little.". Another _smack_ to my ass that causes me to gasp in shock. Leliana shoves her wet fingers in my mouth. Her digits begin roughly working over my tongue as I'm given another order. "Suck.". I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing, but I do my best. Leliana snorts and _smacks_. "Taste that? That's your cunt juices.".

I close my eyes and Leliana _pops_ her fingers from my mouth. "You're dripping like an absolute whore, so I'm going to move the main event along. Have you ever even experienced an orgasm?". I nod a little and my dominant partner snarls at me. "Tell me exactly where, when, and how.". I hesitate and receive another, harder _smack_ for my silence. "In my bedroom at night a few years ago I rubbed myself.". Leliana positions herself behind me. Her fingers dig into my ass as she separates my flesh with her hands. My cunt and asshole are laid bare for her. A single finger is ran through my wetness before Leliana's warm breath washes over my cunt.

I hiss and begin curling my spine as Leliana feasts on me. My toes curl and I find my head thrown backwards as she expertly laps, sucks, and nibbles on my virgin offering. A tension in my stomach begins to boil. I close my eyes and allow myself to get lost in the sensation of fucking. A wet thumb working its way up my ass is what finally pushes me over the edge. I groan and Leliana eases up as I begin having my first orgasm brought on by someone else. As I lie there shivering and adjusting, Leliana says something that sends a delicious shiver up my spine. "Now let's see how much I can shove up inside you.".


	36. Ever Closer

I wake up with a comfortable ache between my thighs and a soreness in my neck. The ache is because of what Leliana did to me while the soreness is because of what I did to Leliana. I feel an uncomfortable pressure against my hip and move to adjust how my weight is distributed. A throbbing in my hip reminds me of the new scar I've got from last night. Leliana bit into me when I wouldn't stop squirming and didn't release until I stayed still. It took me a while to go still. As I adjust my weight I take a mental inventory of how Leliana and I are positioned. We're currently spooning with Leliana (obviously) the bigger spoon. Her 'top' arm is wrapped around my stomach with a hand resting on my tit; her other arm is curled above my head with her hand a few inches from my face. One of her legs is hiked up over my lip with the other leg entangled in my own legs. My arms are currently bent in order to rest a few inches beyond Leliana's hand. I look over my shoulder and see Leliana's still asleep. I put my head down and close my eyes. I'm not sure if I drift off or not, but Leliana squeezing my tit is what brings my attention back to her. Our blanket is currently kicked off of us, so I wouldn't be surprised if the woman wanted to go again before Morrigan and Duncan return.

"Leliana?". She grunts and squeezes my breast harder. It's not pleasurable, but it's controlling and I absolutely can get off on her dominating me. I grind back into her and Leliana gives a sigh. I can't interpret what she means before Leliana begins moving the hand not squeezing my tit. My hair is brushed away from my neck. Slowly, Leliana leans forward and kisses my neck. I sigh in contentment as Leliana's warm breath washes over me.

"I love you.". I gently take her hand off my tit, bring it up to my lips, and kiss the back of her hand.

"I love you.". Leliana kisses my neck and I kiss her hand again. Slowly, I return her hand to my tit. Leliana rests her hand against my breast, but she doesn't squeeze it again. My embarrassment and shyness tells me not to offer to fuck her, but my desire wins over in the end.

"Leliana?". She kisses my neck to show me she's listening.

"Do you want to go again?". Leliana hums before pushing me onto my stomach. My human lover's hips come to rest on my ass. Both of her hands come around to rest on my shoulders. Leliana speaks, and now it's with the cruel voice she used last night during our fucking.

"Lie there and don't say a work. I'm going to use you to get off.". Leliana begins adjusting herself until her cunt can rub against my ass in a way that'll get her off without giving me any pleasure. I close my eyes and bit my lip to keep from begging my love to get me off. If she commands me to lie here and take it, then I'll lie here and take it.

Leliana starts grinding and rubbing her cunt against me while her hands begin to fist my skin like I'm a damned blanket. Pain flares as Leliana pulls my flesh and starts tugging on me. My breathing picks up and my masochist tendencies go against me. Just the pain brought on by Leliana's yanking is enough to get me going. The next time Leliana's cunt pulls back from my ass I thrust upwards in an attempt to get her to start focusing on me. A sharp, powerful punch to the back of my skull is my reward. I whimper and Leliana starts redoubling her efforts to fuck herself using me as a tool. Leliana keeps yanking on my shoulders' skin while steadily picking up speed in her thrusts. Eventually, she's in essence slapping her cunt against my ass in a desperate attempt to finish herself off. I've started to fist the blanket beneath me as pain keeps making my eyes water. Leliana is panting in my ear, but begins to speak as she gets closer and closer.

"Is this what gets you off? Me owning you like you're my slave? Being beaten and abused like your ancestors were by mine? Just lying there and being used as some **fucktoy**?". She nearly screams the last word, and some sober part of my mind calls me to action.

"Leliana! Don't be so loud, you'll-". Fingers are shoved in my mouth.

"Fuck you, you slutty little bitch! I'll be as loud as I want to be! I'll yell as loud as I can that you're a whore! I'll tell your father you're a whore! I'll take out a poster on the Chantry's board just to tell everyone you're a whore! Fuck, I'll go through Denerim with you on a leash and make _you_ scream about how you're a whore if I want to!". I groan and my eyes flutter closed.

"In fact, I have an idea.". Leliana grabs both of my pointed ears like they're reins and begins using my ears to propel her thrusts even faster. Leliana is still panting against me. I groan in pain and arch my back. My arch allows Leliana to pull my ears harder and _smack_ her cunt into my ass faster. Leliana growls at me.

"Say you're my whore. Say, 'I'm Leliana's whore!'. No, scream it! Scream it for the whole forest to hear!". I whimper in mock-protest. Leliana sinks her teeth into my shoulder and I scream.

" _I'm Leliana's whore_!". Leliana and I both freeze as barking erupts a few feet to our right. Leliana _barely_ manages to roll off of me before Duncan has ripped through our tent. From my Mabari's point of view this must be pretty obvious. His owner is lying on the ground and bleeding (from the bite on my shoulder) while his owner's friend is a few feet away with blood dripping from her mouth. To Duncan it must be pretty obvious that Leliana was trying to hurt me. At least, I think that's what he thinks because he lowers himself, starts to growl, and stalks towards Leliana.

"Duncan!". He stops and begins wagging his tail at me. I, however, need to see something else. I look through the hole he made and see he made another hole through Morrigan's tent. And, lying down with a beat-red face is Morrigan. Her wide eyes are currently looking into my tent. I'm the first to speak.

"Morrigan. How much did-". She interrupts me.

"Enough.". My friend reaches up, grabs her tent, and collapses it on herself. I try to stop her.

"Morrigan, you can suffocate if-". She interrupts me again.

"I'll suffocate!". I groan.

* * *

We're riding on bought horses that Morrigan got us on our way to Redcliffe when Morrigan finally brings up last night.

"We need new tents.". Leliana and Duncan are currently riding ahead of us, so I'm free to talk to Morrigan without interruption.

"I know. Although, there is one thing I want to give you that _isn't_ a tent.". I look over to see Morrigan warily looking me up and down.

"I don't know the complex relations you and Leliana have, but I deeply hope she's not allowed to give you away like some kind of sick gift.". I can practically feel my face turn red as I correct her.

"No! No, that's not the gift!". Morrigan's expression doesn't change as she nods.

"Alright, but if she tries don't let her. You aren't some pet to be handed off to another master.". That's... That's actually probably one of the nicest thing the witch has ever said to me. I, however, decide not to engage her comment. Instead, I just reach into my bag and pull out Morrigan's gift. The thick, black tome I found in the Circle Tower. Morrigan's face lights up as she snatches the book from me. My companion presses it against her face and looks at me with bright eyes.

"Do you know what this is?!". I shake my head and she explains.

"This is one of my mother's grimoires! It holds all of her secrets, spells, and tricks!". I don't care too much about Flemeth's secrets, but I nod to play along. Morrigan rips the book open and begins reading with hungry eyes. I smile before turning my attention back to the trail. We've only ridden for a few more hours before Morrigan pokes me. I look over at her and see the light has died from her eyes.

"Yes?". Morrigan motions the book at me and speaks in a slow, saddened voice.

"Do you know what my mother's grimoire says?". I shake my head. She swallows and asks another question.

"Do you know how my mother stays young even after hundreds of years?". I shake my head again, but this time my dark friend explains why she's asking.

"Apparently, Flemeth has had many daughters over the years. And, when they come of a proper age Flemeth will posses them. In that way, she will stay young forever.". Morrigan's face twists in a grimace.

"I'm assuming I'm the perfect age for her, and she's only waiting for the Blight to end to take me.". Her eyes bore into mine and I see true fear in them for once.

"Please, I cannot face her. I need you to go to her hut and find a way to get her original grimoire, so that I can learn her deepest secrets and how to avoid my faith. I'm assuming she will fight you, but I cannot stop that. I can likewise not travel with you. I know her, and she won't appear if I am there.". I nod and make her a promise.

"I'll get it for you. I promise.". Our conversation is interrupted by a scream ahead of us. I sigh before whipping my horse up to where Leliana is.

"Was that you?". Leliana shakes her head and I look down from the ridge where we're standing. Some man is standing in front of a bridge shaking his arms at us. I sigh and ride down to him.

"What the fuck do you want?". He looks shocked at how I greet him, but begins explaining the situation.

"Redcliffe has been attacked by demons! T-". I cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah. Where's the warden that came through here? I'm with him.". The man blinks before continuing.

"He helped us defend the city from demons last night, but attempted to launch an attack on the castle this morning to save one of the royal family. He and his faithful servant were captured only a few minutes into the battle! He was captured after he was beaten in battle, and his mage servant surrendered.". I know Wynne probably surrendered to keep Alistair alive by healing him when he awoke. I sigh and motion towards Redcliffe.

"Is there any way into the castle that isn't across the bridge?". The man nods and keeps talking.

"My liege told me to tell the next warden to come through here should the previous one fail how to get to the castle.". I scoff.

"Obviously, the last one failed. So, take me to where I need to go and I'll save your damned ruined town.". He nods and begins running off. I groan before riding after him.


	37. Drinking Away the Days

We're led to an old windmill settled on the top hill of the city. I suck in a deep breath, hold it, and slowly release it. I snap my fingers and the man comes running to me.

"Yes?". I dismount my horse and he goes to take her reins, but I yank them back and he backs away. I begin tying my horse to a nearby tree while my team dismounts. Meanwhile, I tell the man what I want him to do.

"You have a bar?". Before he can speak I continue talking.

"Of course you do.". He looks a little angered that I've cut him off. I ignore it and keep talking to him.

"I'll give you a gold.". His eyes light up.

"I want you to go buy up all of the alcohol the bar has and bring it here. You can keep whatever's left over.". He begins nodding and holding his hand out. I take a golden coin out of my money pouch and show it to him.

"If one gold isn't enough for everything, then come back and get another one. Just make sure that you've bought up all of the alcohol.". I toss the gold in the air. The man snatches it and runs away as quickly as possible. I turn to the rest of the team and hold out my arms.

"So, who wants to get drunk before fighting monsters?". Duncan barks and I know he can't understand me, but I take his bark as a 'I wanna get drunk before fighting monsters!'. Leliana, thankfully, is more clear with what she wants.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea.". Morrigan, however, is less enthusiastic.

"Unlike you three, I have to be careful when I'm fighting. I can't just howl to stun my enemies, fire an arrow in their general direction, or swing a sword. If I do anything wrong, then I could end up burning my entire team to a crisp.". Morrigan crosses her arms and pretends to look away in a huff. I chuckle a little under my breath before fixing the situation.

"I'll find you every high-class drink in the pile and give it to you.". Morrigan pretends to think about it for a minute before nodding.

"Acceptable.". Our newest friend returns with bottles of ale, beer, whiskey, and wine in his arms. When he sits them down he begins walking away, but screams to us over his shoulder.

"There's more! I just couldn't carry it all!". I 'whoop' to him as he disappears down the hill. Finally, everyone turns their attention to the alcohol. Morrigan takes a few bottles of wine before motioning to the stockpile.

"You vultures can scavenge on the corpse. I've got what I wanted.". Duncan snatches up a beer and begins prancing around with it. Leliana takes some of the higher-grade beer and the rest of the wine. I'm stuck with the cheapest beers possible, all of the ale, and all of the whiskey. I look at my pile and make a passing comment to nobody in particular.

"I'm getting stuck with all the strong, nasty drinks nobody else wants.". Leliana laughs and Morrigan clutches her wine a little tighter before nodding.

"That's what you get for coming up with suck a terrible idea. And, for being a warrior.". Our banter is cut short by our newest drink-fetcher returning. More ale, beer, and whiskey. Now, he's also brought a little brandy. Morrigan and Duncan seem pleased with their selection. Still, I push a few bottles of beer to the side to give Duncan in order to actually get him drunk. Leliana takes the higher-class ales and beers. I'm left with cheap beer and ale, all the whiskey, and all the brandy. I'm actually starting to regret this. I'm going to be shit-faced before anyone else. The man returns with the final selection before bowing and running away.

Some wine, beer, ale, and vodka. Morrigan takes some more wine, there's such a small amount of beer everyone agrees to add it to Duncan's pile, and Leliana takes the higher-class ales. I'm stuck with vodka and cheap ale. Everyone sits down in a circle with their piles. Duncan has a stock of beer both cheap and expensive; Morrigan has the finest wines; Leliana has some of the finest wines, beers, and ales; and I have the cheap beers, cheap ales, whiskey, brandy, and vodka. I clap my hands and make a small speak.

"Alright, let's do it together. Everyone drink a bottle at the same time, and I'll make sure Duncan keeps up with us.". Morrigan opens a bottle of wine, Leliana opens a bottle of beer, and I open a bottle of brandy. Then, I open one of Duncan's bottle of beer. My dog perks up and instantly knocks his glass over. Thankfully, he laps up the contents and that starts our drinking. Morrigan is easily able to down hers since I'd imagine the taste is bearable, Leliana takes a little longer and finishes second since I don't think she's big on drinking, and I'm the last to finish my drink because I have the drink that's the strongest and taste the worst.

Still, I pick up another bottle of brandy. I'm either going big or going home, and Denerim's too damn far away to walk to. Leliana manages to tie with Duncan, Morrigan is second, and I finish a few seconds after Morrigan. None of us are feeling the drinks right now, but that's because we haven't given it enough time and/or drank enough. Duncan is the first to finish, I finish second, and Morrigan and Leliana tie for last. Our places and choices of drinks keep changing as we just continue trying to keep up with one another. However, Morrigan is the first to finish her pile since she got the least amount. The witch proudly _smashes_ her empty last bottle of wine on the ground in front of her. Duncan finishes off his beers a few seconds later, but begins chewing on the empty bottles. I quickly take the glass away from him.

Now Leliana and I are the only ones still drinking. My lover is currently finishing off her selection of wine and moves onto her beers. I start polishing off my brandy and vodka. I do so by combining the two. The taste makes me shudder and it's strong enough to make me gag, but I've had worse in my mouth after a few nights ago. Leliana still manages to finish off her drinks and move onto the last of her ales. I add the whiskey to the mix. Shockingly, it tastes even worse and I almost vomit after every sip. Leliana briefly stops to chuckle at the sight of me. I'm picking up the whiskey and taking a sip, picking up the vodka and taking a sip, and picking up the brandy and taking a sip. Leliana starts lightly sipping her ales. I manage to remove the whiskey and brandy from the mix by finishing them off first.

I pull some cheap-as-fuck beer to me and start repeating the process. A sip of beer, then a sip of vodka. When the vodka runs out I replace it with cheap ale. Leliana finishes off her own drinks and begins cleaning up. Mostly, she just gets all the empty bottles together and starts making a cube out of them. I watch with fascination as I start slowing down. My stomach is straining with all of the alcohol shoved inside it. All of my friends had breakfast, but the soup tasted too bad for my taste and I didn't eat anything.

I have the bottle of the cheapest ale imaginable to my lips, but I don't take another sip. Honestly, I'm considering calling it quits. I haven't had anything to eat today, my stomach hurts, and I got the most alcohol out of everyone. It's understandable that I wouldn't be able to drink it all. Besides, only the cheap stuff is left and the cheap stuff taste the worst. It's totally realistic that I just wouldn't like the taste of it. Leliana stops making her cube, heaves herself up, walks a few feet over to me, and collapses beside me.

"What's wrong?". I mumble around my bottle. Leliana throws her head back and laughs at my expense. Morrigan and Duncan are quick to follow. My dog is panting his laughter, but it still counts. Leliana, finally, stops laughing and looks at me. Then, she raises her hands up. One grips the back of my head in a tight grip I've only ever felt when she's fucking me, and the other one goes to the end of my bottle. The glass is pressed tightly against my lips to where I can't get my face off of the bottle. Finally, Leliana pulls my head back and begins tipping the bottle upwards. I close my eyes, start coughing, and try to pull away. Leliana places her lips right beside my pointed ears and begins whispering to me.

"Shh. Calm down. It's fine.". I don't calm down, but I do manage to hack some of the liquid into my stomach instead of my lungs.

Leliana doesn't move the bottle or let me get a puff of air until I've swallowed all of the liquid. Leliana tosses the bottle to the side and picks up another bottle of either beer or ale. I honestly can't tell the difference at this point. Leliana presses the bottle to my lips. I begin flailing my arms and trying to pull back. I manage to mumble through the bottle.

"Leliana! I don't-". I can't say anything else as Leliana presses the can harder and my lips are forcibly sealed around the bottle. The process repeats itself a few times before Leliana grabs the last bottle, holds it up, and makes a sort of celebratory noise. Morrigan begins clapping and Duncan barks at me. The final bottle is pressed against my lips and I no longer bother fighting. I just sit there and let Leliana do what she will with me. My stomach is straining, I'm sweating, and I'm not having any fun anymore. It was _definitely_ a mistake telling that boy to bring us _every_ alcoholic drink.

Leliana finally pulls back the last empty bottle and smashes it against the ground. Morrigan adds to the mess by _smashing_ the cube of glasses with her staff. Duncan hikes up his leg and takes a piss on the tremendous pile of broken glass. I sigh as Leliana stands, grabs me, and yanks me up to stand beside her. Morrigan and Duncan both push themselves up and join us. I'm the first to speak.

"Alright team, let's go get 'em!". Everyone lets out a tiny cheer as we leave the area we've destroyed and enter the windmill. I fall down the ladder to some dungeons and nearly break my leg. Leliana falls on top of me, Morrigan falls on top of Leliana, and Duncan falls on top of Morrigan.

"Off!". I'm not sure which one of us says it, but everyone breaks apart. I manage to stand up, draw my sword, and begin charging. A few dead bodies and an open cell greet us. I make small chatter as I walk deeper into the castle.

"Maybe Alistair freed himself? I don't know who else would kill anyone.". We walk up the stairs up into an area with another ladder. I barely manage to climb it up into the courtyard. Leliana, Morrigan, and Duncan are right behind me. The courtyard is crawling with living corpses and the occasional demon. I sigh and begin stumbling towards our enemies.

"Of course Alistair didn't free himself. That's too much to ask of him.". Leliana, Morrigan, and Duncan all let out a howl as the fighting begins.


	38. Isolde

The 'epic battle' that happens in the courtyard probably looks like a bad attempt at dancing. Duncan is running around while snapping everywhere and anywhere without the slightest bit of aiming; arrows are raining down from the sky everywhere in order to hit apparently everything; fireballs are exploding all around the battlefield in no particular pattern; and I'm swinging my sword in a giant circle while stumbling around in a bigger circle. Thankfully, our enemies aren't human and can't mock us until we die of shame. Instead, they take us as a serious threat and attempt to destroy us. However, they can't quite do that.

Anything that gets beside Duncan or I gets hit instantly, they can't get to Leliana because she's climbed a tree to precariously sway from the top branch, and Morrigan turns into bugs in order to fly across the battlefield to an unoccupied area whenever they get close enough to hurt her. Thus, the epic battle rages on. The worst that happens to my side is some gigantic, undead warrior uses some spell to yank me over to him, then gets his head blown off by a fireball that hit _just_ the right spot at _just_ the right time. When all of our foes are dead we celebrate by continuing to fight nothing for a solid minute. Leliana is the first to stop by falling out of her tree. Then, Duncan runs into a wall. Then, Morrigan falls on her face. Finally, my sword goes flying from my hands.

I fall onto my ass and, slowly, my team gathers around me. Leliana helps me stand while Morrigan retrieves my sword. I take my weapon, sheathe it, and stumble up into the castle. The sight that awaits me causes me to sigh. Alistair and Wynne are both tied up and dangling from the ceiling. Some man I don't know is dancing, guards are lining the walls, and a little boy and his mother (I'm assuming because they look so similar) are standing in front of a fireplace. I take my sword out and scream at the top of my lungs. The dancing man flips to the side and the little boy steps forward.

"Who dares disturb my court?!". The voice that comes from him sounds like the desire demon that entranced me in the fade, so I mentally prepare myself before screaming for everyone to hear.

"What the fuck is going on here?! Who the hell is responsible for the village?!". The little boy sneers and scoffs.

"Mother, what is that thing? I can't quite see it.". The woman looks absolutely cowed as she answers her son.

"It's an elf. You know elves; we have them here in the castle.". The boy laughs and points at me. A vein twitches in my neck as I take a few steps closer to the child. Finally, he stops laughing. Unfortunately, he says something that will assure his death.

"I remember elves! I had their ears cut off and fed to the hounds! The dogs chewed for _hours_!". I scream and charge. The child runs like a little bitch and the guards instantly surround me, but the terror in his eyes was worth it. I headbutt one guard and begin spinning like a damned fool. The battle lasts a tiny bit longer than the one outside, but ends in the same way. Well, almost. Everyone is able to stop on their own and form up behind me. The boy's mother stands before me, holds up her hands, and begins trying to speak. I push past her without a second thought. I shoulder the woman on my way as I charge into another room after her son.

The boy is attempting to open a locked door in what appears to be the throne room when I find him. A swift _crack_ across the back of the skull brings him to the ground, but doesn't kill him. I look over my shoulder, but only the boy's mother has followed me. She desperately begins to speak to me as I kneel down beside her son.

"Please! My name is Isolde! I'm the Arl's wife and the boy's mother! Please, listen to me! His name is Connor; and he doesn't need to die! He didn't do it!". I pull my dagger from my boot and rest it against the boy's neck. I give his mother a fair warning.

"If he rouses before we're done talking, then I'm going to slit his throat like he's a pig. Noble or not: he's still a human.". A clapping from the doorway causes me to look over. Morrigan struts in with everyone else (including Alistair and Wynne) except Leliana behind her. My dark friend stops clapping, but congratulates me.

"Finally found your elven roots, have you? Good. Slit the boy's throat and make up for the injustices done upon your people. Let the Arl and his wife know that they suffer due to the debts their ancestors owe you.". My wrist twitches, but Wynne and Alistair speak before I can finish the job. Alistair speaks first.

"It's Connor's fault. He summoned a demon to keep his ill father from dying. His father was poisoned by a mage I freed in the dungeons, but I don't know where he is. He's name's Jowan, though.". My wrist twitches again, but Wynne's words halt me.

"I saw Jowan a few paces behind us. Hopefully, he knows a way to exorcise the demon without killing the boy. With the demon gone, then the entire situation here should resolve itself.". I groan as a person I'm assuming is Jowan walks in.

"There is a way, but it requires blood magic. It's a powerful spell that can send a mage into the fade where the demon is to banish it.". My wrist begins to move. Once again, Wynne stops me.

"I know of the spell he speaks of. It doesn't have to require blood magic. If you go back to the Circle Tower and retrieve the mages, then they could perform the spell. Connor need not die.". I feel a headache coming on. I raise my dagger high in the air and tell everyone what I'm going to do.

"I'm just going to kill the kid. Going and saving him will take too much time. Besides, he could be trouble while I'm gone. Easier just to slash his throat.". His mother lets out a wail like a dying animal and charges me. I bring my dagger down. It slides into the fatty, soft tissue of Isolde's shoulder. The woman cries out in pain, but clutches to her boy like he's driftwood and she's just been flung off of a sinking ship. I snarl and begin sawing the woman's shoulder up.

"Move!". Wynne begins yelling over Isolde's howl of agony.

"Getting the Circle would be best! The entire family could live, and you'd still get the army you need!". Alistair is the next to yell.

"Please, I'm begging you to try the Circle option! The family has suffered enough!". I stop sawing, but give the woman a fair warning.

"I swear I'll kill you to get to him. Now, stand and watch your son die like a woman.". Isolde howls and begins begging.

"Please, he's my child! He's only a boy; he doesn't deserve to die!". Her watery eyes find mine and she's almost crying as she struggles to talk.

"You're a woman! What would you do if he was your son?". I shove my face against hers and snarl my answer.

"I would have taught my little brat not to mess with demons!". I headbutt her and send her flying across the room. Isolde howls as I bring my bloody dagger up again and prepare to end her son's life. That's when a final voice from the doorway halts my swing.

"Tabris!". I freeze and clench every muscle in my body. Slowly, I turn my head towards where Leliana is standing.

"Yes, my love?". Leliana is looking at me with fire in her eyes and a snarl on her face.

"Were you really going to kill that boy?". My dagger clatters to the ground and I shake my head as I return my emptied hand to the boy's throat.

"No, my sweet. I would never dream of it.". Isolde carefully crawls over to her son, but (smartly) doesn't say anything to me. She just seems happy her son isn't dead yet. I don't break eye-contact from Leliana as she storms into the room. Everyone scatters from her path. I drop my eyes and posture until I'm almost kneeling by the time Leliana reaches me. Nobody comments on how I'm basically kneeling at my lover's feet like a bitch would. Instead, they all stay silent as Leliana asks a question.

"You weren't going to kill him because he was a human child, were you?". I shake my head and keep denying her questions.

"No, my lovely. I wouldn't dream of it.". Slowly, Leliana uses her foot to nudge me onto my side. I inwardly sigh as I relent to her shoving. My lover slides me away from the child like I'm a damned doll. When I'm done sliding, Leliana comes over to me and kneels. The next words she speaks are only loud enough to reach mine and Isolde's ears.

"Good. Because if you killed a child for being human, then I might stop fucking you because you're a knife-eared whore. Understand?". I nod, but it isn't enough for Leliana. Apparently, she's every passionate about not killing children. Her hand comes to rest on my throat. From the way we're positioned only Isolde can see the scene playing out before her. Leliana presses down against my throat and corrects me.

"What was that?". I barely manage to hiss my response.

"Yes, I understand you.". Her hand tightens even more and I begin seeing stars.

"One more time.". I use the last of my air to say what she wants me to say in the way she wants me to say it.

"Yes mistress, I understand you.". Leliana releases my neck and turns to my friends.

"Tabris has agreed to go get the circle.". Everyone cheers besides Isolde and I. From my position I can see the woman (still clutching her son) through Leliana's feet. I clutch my neck as I look at her. I do my best to glare. The woman doesn't turn away or cower like she should. Instead, she just stares at me in complete shock and a little bit of confusion. I chop it up to her still being shocked her son isn't going to be murdered. The woman finally breaks eye-contact. I take the chance to stand. Leliana clasps me on the shoulder with a smile on her face.

"So, who are you going to take to get the Circle with you?". I can't even answer as Morrigan walks over, takes my hand, and answers for me.

"She'll take myself, Duncan, and Wynne.". Leliana's eyelid twitches and she instantly disagrees.

"She's definitely going to be taking me along.". Morrigan stands a little straighter as she challenges Leliana.

"Who will keep the peace with Tabris and you gone? Nobody else will, and Connor will most likely be killed in the chaos.". Leliana sighs and looks at me. I shrug and Leliana relents. She kisses me once on the cheek before walking away back towards the group.

"Be safe and quick. I'll miss you.". I nod as she goes. That's when Morrigan begins yanking me away.


	39. Creeping Forward

Wynne is silent during our ride and Duncan can't talk, so that leaves Morrigan and I to fill the silence. Duncan has fallen back quite a ways to stick with Wynne and her slower pony (most of Redcliffe's horses had been slaughtered during the attack), so Morrigan and I can speak freely without anyone overhearing us. My dark friend is the first to speak. "I found out what was in that book you gave me.". I look over at her as our horses idly trot through the light, clear woods. The mage's face grows grim as she admits what she found. "It turns out that my mother stays immortal by having daughters, then possessing them when both of them have reached the proper age.".

Well, that sounds completely fucked up. "What are you going to do about it?". Morrigan looks at me with sheepish eyes. "I was hoping that you'd help me like you did Leliana.". I bite my lip and think about it. It's out of my way, but I could definitely return to Morrigan's mother before we have to fight the Arch-Demon. I nod and the woman breathes a sigh of relief. A rare smile even graces her lips. "Thank you. You're a true friend.". I can't help it; it goes to my head. I hold myself a little higher and a smile consumes my face. However, the smile quickly fades when Morrigan asks a simple question about me.

"So, you and Leliana?". I groan and she laughs before continuing. "It's only fair I know what's going on. You two kept me awake half of the night with your banter.". I scoff and roll my eyes. "Our 'banter'?". She nods and defends herself. "That's what I've decided to call the 'conversation' the two of you had. Honestly, I'm just surprised Leliana was the one on top.". She laughs as my face becomes hot. I quickly try to move the talk along. "Is there any particular reason you asked me about Leliana?". Morrigan nods again, but what she says is far too cryptic for my liking. "There'll come a time where you'll have to make a decision, and when you make it I want you to remember Leliana. So, keep her in your thoughts.".

I shake my head as Morrigan moves the conversation onto another, deeper topic. "So, let's talk about your scars.". I sigh and slump down in my saddle. "You know how I got them.". She nods in agreement. "I'm aware of where they all are, also.". I throw her a glance and she smirks before telling me something I didn't need to know. "Your injuries from the battle were severe, and you're aware I had to get you naked. I was able to see everything underneath your clothes. I know exactly where every single scar on your body is.". I shudder and she finally gets to the heart of the matter. "I just thought you'd learn something from your scars.".

I have to fall silent as we lead our horses around a turn, but once we're once again going in a straight line I speak. "What do you mean I'd 'learn' something from my scars?". Morrigan shrugs like it couldn't possibly matter. "You've been beaten and suffered at the hands of humans. I just thought you might have learned to be more wary of them.". Once again, a cord deep inside me is struck. It hurts to have gotten so close to so many humans. To know the burning flame of hate inside of me wasn't strong enough to feed me through my journey. My insecurities and fears come back. The old, stronger me would have joined the Dalish the second Ostagar was over.

Instead, I let Morrigan and Alistair get me wrangled up in this mess. Then, Leliana and Wynne dragged me even deeper. My hands clench as I realize every single person I'm traveling with is a human besides Duncan. My cousins would laugh at me. My father would be disappointed. My mother would be ashamed. My hands are shaking around the reins in my hands. I try to hold back tears that I don't know where I came from. I take the last dying ember of my hate and throw it at Morrigan. "Morrigan, you're a human. Stop talking like you're not.". Morrigan chuckles as she reaches out to me. Freezing fingers brush some short hair behind one of my pointed ears.

She leans over on her horse and whispers in my ear. "Who says I'm human?". She pulls away before laughing like a maniac. I try to brush off her comment. "That's not funny.". Morrigan eventually calms down and starts our conversation up again. "I'm still surprised you've let yourself be cowed by humans. I thought you'd be stronger than that.". I snort and turn my gaze downwards to my horse's mane. "What am I suppose to do? Go run off and live in the woods?". Morrigan once again gets cryptic. "There'll be a point in our quest where you have the chance to save a human's life. Don't take it, or else an elven life will be claimed later.". I shudder and try to defeat Morrigan's point.

"We're probably going to run across a lot of humans during our journey.". Morrigan sighs and gets a tiny bit more specific. "An old enemy. You're going to have a chance to redeem an old enemy. Don't take that chance, or else an elven life will be lost.". I look up towards her and pull on my ears. "Is that elven life my own?". She shrugs and admits something rather disturbing. "I don't know.". She looks back towards the trail and falls silent. However, I now have a question. "Morrigan, can only mages enter the fade?". When she nods I ask her an important question. "Would you mind going into the fade and putting a stop to what's happening at Redcliffe when the ritual is ready?".

Morrigan seems to chew over the offer before sighing and shaking her head. "You're damned lucky you're my friend. I'll do it.". I smile and try to make sure she knows how much this means to me. "Wynne is the only other option. I trust her a lot, but having one of my closest friends do it for me will mean a lot more.". I snicker as the witch's cheeks begin to turn pink. Playfully, she shoves me and turns our attention back to the matter at hand. "Shut up. We're almost there.". I nod and look ahead of us. The Tower is still looming on its island in the middle of the lake. As we wait for Wynne I ask a very important question.

"Why don't the mages use magic to cross the lake?". Morrigan sighs. "There's not a spell to fly or breathe water, and none of them know how to change their shape. So, they'd have to swim across before any of their spells would be useful. Besides, the Templars aren't going to let them practice spells that would normally help them.". Wynne joins us and begins tying up her horse. Duncan sits down and takes a few seconds of break. Then, all of us head over to the boat. The boy running it doesn't question us like he did the first time. Smart lad. Instead, he just takes us across when we step into his boat. The tower looms above us as we arrive at its shores and quickly go inside.

* * *

We find the leader of the mages standing right inside the door. I don't bother beating around the bush or trying to be subtle. I go up to him, snap to get his attention, and tell him what I want. "We need mages sent to Redcliffe to deal with a possessed child.". The man balks and begins questioning it. Thankfully, Wynne has my back. "Irving, it's okay. Send the mages and come to the castle. We'll be there; it's important.". The older man sighs, but nods and eventually gives in. Wynne and the boy clear things up a little, then we all head back out. The young Templar pushes us back across the lake and we go find our horses. Wynne is once again forced to ride the pony on our return trip. The sun is steadily sitting, but we continue to ride on. I make conversation with Morrigan as we ride.

Wynne is asleep at the moment with her horse tethered to mine, so we can talk freely. "Do you think I should have killed the boy? Connor?". She instantly nods before going on and defending her opinion. "He was a brat and possessed by a demon. Besides, it was his fault that Redcliffe was the way it was. Killing him would have been the only proper thing to do.". I sigh and slump in my saddle. What Morrigan says next makes me slump forward a little more in my saddle. "Although, I understand why you did it. Leliana owns you.".

My fire of hatred has already burned itself down to nothing, but my pride is still bruised. I only manage to mumble an argument. "Leliana doesn't own me.". Morrigan chuckles deep in her throat and her next words chill me to my very core. "I saw what Leliana did to you. Stepping on your neck and making you do what she wanted. And you let her. You rolled onto her back like a bitch and let her.". My face burns red and I don't bother fighting what she's saying. Morrigan, however, tries to cheer me up about the whole situation. "You lost your spine with her, but at least she isn't parading you around on the end of the leash like some elves are.". I shrug and my friend keeps trying. "At least you're getting a good fuck. When's the last time you had one, back in Denerim?". I nod in agreement.

Somehow, I don't feel comfortable telling Morrigan that I was a virgin until a few nights ago. There's still a filthy mark on the word. Admitting I'm a virgin who loves being dominated by a human isn't something I say to just anyone. Thankfully, the conversation wraps up and everyone falls quiet as we continue riding. The castle of Redcliffe looms above us before we even know it. All of us tie our horses up at the stables before dismounting and going inside. Everyone is gathered in the main hall of the castle with the tables pushed to the edges of the room. I take a few steps forward and see the mages have already arrived. I raise my arms upwards and give a single command. "Let's get started.".

* * *

 **Note: Sorry for the poor quality of the chapter. I didn't have a chance to reread it or 'cut it up' properly. I'm just super busy and didn't have the time. Sorry.**


	40. Dancing Demons

**Morrigan POV:**

The warden smiles at me as she repeats her speech to me once again.

"Just do what you have to do. Knock the demon out of Connor. I know you can do it; just don't get yourself killed.". I sigh and remind her of how the fade works.

"If I die in there, then I'll just wake back up.". The warden's face turns into a scowl and she shakes her head.

"I still don't want you dying, you hear?". I nod and Tabris finally moves. She moves to stand by Leliana. The archer instantly wraps a possessive arm around the elf. I feel both anger and resentment at what the human's doing. Having her controlling the warden could possibly mess with the plan I currently have going. Originally, I was going to try to get Alistair to do what needs to be done. However, Tabris has proven easier to befriend and a better fighter. The elf is obviously going to be more willing to listen to me and do as I say, but Leliana could be a force that would work against me.

If I was smarter I would have broken them up before they got this close. Unfortunately, my heart has gotten involved. I want my elven friend to find happiness, and her temporary fucking of Leliana is bringing her happiness. I won't steal that from her. Just in case she dies. I'm still hoping to sway her to perform the dark ritual when the Archdemon finally rears his head, but a backup plan isn't bad. This backup plan being 'make the warden happy before she dies'.

I turn my attention away from the elf and her lover; instead, I turn back towards the ritual the Circle is about to perform. A potion is shoved into my hands and I roll my eyes before downing it. A slight tingle runs through my body before my eyes go blind. A _crack_ comes from somewhere and I assume it's my skull hitting the ground. My vision _pops_ back. I'm standing on a thin strip of rock in the middle of the fade. I turn my eyes from the eternal chaos in the sky and continue along the only path I can take. A man's voice rings out through the abyss, but I ignore it. I can't afford to be distracted right now.

A slight ripple in the fade makes me aware of an enemy up ahead. My spine shivers as I turn into a tremendous, spiked bear. My steps slow as the creature I seek comes into view. A lessor demon. Some weak sin hoping to feed upon the master of this domain. It sees me and begins 'swimming' over. I allow my jaw to fall open and rear onto my hind legs. Two swipes of my gigantic claws wound and stun him. My jaws _cracking_ his neck is what ends him. The smaller demon disappears in a flurry of flavorless smoke. I lick my clean snout before going through portal deeper into this realm. The next path I take leads me straight to the demon. The creature is masquerading as the little boy. The demon cowers as I approach and tries to pluck on my heartstrings.

"Stay back! Help! Monster!". I charge forward without any hesitation or remorse. My jaws wrap around the child's throat and the demon transforms into its normal appearance. The desire demon scrabbles away while calling a lessor fire minion to assist it. A single swing from my claws _shred_ the lessor creature into thin lines of bloody, pulpy meat. The minion disappears as smoke while I _snap_ my jaws onto the desire demon's leg. The creature hisses and slashes at my eyes. A thin, sharp cut opens up and begins to bleed into my right eye. I _roar_ in pain out of instinct and stumble backwards when the bitch begins swinging both of its hands towards me as quickly as it can. I rear onto my back legs again. A large, long wound is cut into my exposed belly before I _stomp_ the demon to dust.

I snort and shake my head. My wounds are bleeding, but neither are too severe. This form has enough blood to spare before the belly one scabs, and the one on my head is only occasionally making it harder to see. Blinking is taking care of it well enough. I turn and descend back down the path that was lain for me. The portal spits me out into yet another area. This path is a tiny bit longer than the last one; however, it still leads me to the demon almost instantly. The fake boy is now hiding beside a bed and already cowering when I find him. The demon keeps trying to play off of my emotions.

"You're the one making father sick! Get out! Get out, get out, get out!". I sink my fangs into Connor's arm. The demon erupts from his flesh and punches me as hard in the head as possible. I snarl and growl and dig my fangs in even deeper as my vision blurs. The demon swings its arm around and summons a stronger minion to help it. The flaming demon grabs my neck. I can't do it anymore. My jaws _click_ open and the desire demon goes flying away from me. The fire demon's claws are sinking into my flesh and my ragged fur is beginning to smoke. Meanwhile, my skin is starting to burn. I bring one arm up and wrap it around the demon's torso.

My claws barely manage to _rip_ its abdomen open. Smoky, unnatural organs spill from its body and the creature collapses. My fur is still smoking and my skin aches. A tiny bit of blood fills my right eye and I blink. The desire demon is currently flailing its arms in a complex, lengthy spell that will no doubt turn me into a rug. I _roar_ once to get my blood pumping and my courage up, then charge the demon. The demon grunts as I slam into its stomach with my thick head and end the spell. The desire demon hisses as my head turns and my fangs sink deep into its guts. My fangs wrap around a fake stomach and _rip_ it out of the demon.

The desire demon hisses and tries to get a dying attack out. It fails horribly and my ear is just buffeted back a tiny bit. I smirk as the flesh in my jaws turns to dust and air. I snort out the demon and turn back around. The portal takes me to yet another area. The demon is obviously weakening. The path to it isn't even a true path. It's just a few steps forward into another 'room'. The demon's boy form is shuddering and bending around the edges. The fake Connor speaks with the voice of a demon and does a last ditch effort.

"Please, leave. Save father.". I stand on my hind legs a mere few feet from the 'boy', let out a _roar_ that shudders the very fade, and _crash_ down on the demon. Both of my tremendous paws come down with a crushing blow on the boy's chest. The demon hisses and two stronger fire minions appear. I'm force to stumble backwards and let the desire demon crawl away. Both of the minions stalk forward with fiery hands outstretched towards me. A growl that shakes the arena causes both to hesitate for a split second. I _snap_ onto one of the demon's hand and feel my mouth start to cook. I tighten my jaws as tightly as possible before having to release it. The flaming demon stumbles back and howls in agony while clutching its shattered hand. I turn my attention to the other fiery demon while ignoring my aching mouth.

I swing once with my right paw at the demon's chest. It caves inwards, but the monster stays standing. I swing a second time with my left paw at the demon's neck. Boiling blood spills out of the tremendous cut and the demon collapses into a pile of nothingness. I flip around and see the other fiery demon attempting to heal his shattered limb. I stand onto my hid legs, shove my paws upwards while extending my claws as far as possible, and _smack_ my body downwards like an executioner's ax. The demon floats away as specks of dust. I turn my head towards the desire demon. The creature is lying on its side and holding its abdomen.

Thick, black blood is spewing from in between its fingers. I strut over to the demon with a growing smile on my snout. The creature hisses at me as I raise my paw above its head. A _crack_ fills the fade as dust collects on my paw. I shake my body and take inventory. A burn on my mouth, a scabbed-over cut above my eye, a bleeding wound on my stomach, and some minor burns around my neck. I scratch up the ground to sharpen my claws and try to imagine how long it would take to transform back to my human form, heal myself, and turn back into my current form. I eventually decide it'll take too long and turn back towards the portal and wherever it'll take me next.

I'm taken to a circular stone with multiple smaller, likewise circular stones in another circle inside the large circle. Mainly, the arena is a lot of circles. The demon is no longer taking a weaker form in an attempt to fool me. Now its stands at its true form waiting for me. The demon is sharpening its claws and offers me a toothy grin as I approach. The creature raises its arm in an attempt to halt me. Instinctively, I pause for a single second and the demon takes that as acceptance. Its voice rings around the arena and causes my spine to shudder.

"Peace. Let us break bread and talk. I wish to come to an understanding between you and I. Surely there's something you need that I can provide in exchange for my current form. Isn't there?". A low, thunderous growl is my response to the demon. The creature shakes its head and lets a deep sigh leave its lungs.

"That's a true shame. I was hoping not to have to kill you.". The spry, agile demon hops onto my back before I can react. I scream and rear like a horse as the demon digs its claws into my fatty shoulders. Its clawed feet come to rest on my hips and tinier, sharper claws dig into the fat of my hips. My arms flail and my claws connect with nothing but air. I roar in pain as fangs sink into my ear. The demon begins shaking its head, tightening its hands, and kicking with its feet.

My feet begin sliding backwards and I realize I'm slowly tipping backwards due to the fact that the added weight of the demon is too much. I keep roaring and flailing, but start to intentionally lean backwards. The demon doesn't fall for it. The creature's jaw stops working and its claws begin leaving me. I don't allow it. I throw all of my weight backwards as hard as I possibly can. The demon _crunches_ beneath my fat bear ass and it starts smacking my lower back. I roll onto my stomach and smack a thick, heavy arm across its stomach. The demon hisses and starts clawing my flesh.

I drag myself on top of the demon until I'm literally crushing the demon beneath my chest. My snout is shoved onto the demons face and I sniff it in a sort of 'taunt'. The demon's arms are trapped beneath me, so it's forced to snap with its fangs while struggling to fight its way out from underneath me. I smirk and slowly open my mouth. Bear slobber and slime falls onto the demon's face. It screams as I carefully swallow its head into my skull. I make sure to suck my tongue deep into the recesses of my throat to prevent the demon from biting it. I mouth the demon's head a little and hum like I'm tasting a fine wine. I feel the demon beginning to get free from beneath me. I smirk before _crunching_ down and ending this.


	41. Fairy Tales

**Warden POV:**

When Morrigan regains consciousness she has a small smile on her face. I briefly break away my focus and turn it towards the mages. Wynne is standing above Connor and nodding at me. I can't contain a small smile. Morrigan did it. She really did it. Now we can get on with the 'allies' part and go kick some ass. Isolde pushes her way through the throng of mages to collapse on her son in a sobbing heap. I try not to retch at the reaction. I give the mother and son a few minutes while the mages clean up. Then, when the mages are gone and the boy sent to bed, I get to work by clapping my hand and getting everyone's attention. Isolde, a man I don't know, and my entire group surrounds me. I instantly begin verbally attacking Isolde.

"So, can we have our soldiers and get started on killing the Blight? I DID spare your son, go out of my way to get the mages, and risk one of my closest friends to free your boy from a demon he himself summoned.". Isolde looks absolutely beaten as her lips quivers. The woman offers up a lame excuse.

"Only my husband can rally the soldiers, and he's still bedridden.". The man I don't know steps forward and stands before Isolde. Given the resemblance, I'm assuming they're brother and sister. The man stands up straight, but his eyes are downcast as he begs yet another favor of me.

"Please, we need to save my brother Arl Eamon.". Well, my guess was wrong unless Eamon married his sister. I've had enough of running around doing things for other people, so I try to put an end to this.

"No. Eamon will be healed after the Blight is dealt with.". Isolde lets out another of her famous wails and the man I don't know keeps talking.

"Please! I beg of you! He can't make it till the end of the Blight!". I cross my arms, raise one hand at the man, make my best 'disgusted' face, and ask him a question.

"Who the fuck are you?". He pales and stutters his name out.

"T-Teagan, your h-". He was about to say 'highness' for some reason, but I ignore that fact. I drop my arms to my sides, strut forward, and don't stop until we're chest-to-chest. My thick, metal breastplate rubs against his thin robes of silk. I shove my helm up against his bare face. I make sure he can see my eyes through the slits in my helm. He begins shaking and I snarl an end to the argument.

"No. Eamon will have to make due with what he's got. I'm not going on another pointless errand.". Teagan is a fool and tries to straighten his spine. It pushes his face against the cold, unyielding metal of my helmet. The man still manages to work up a little courage. Unfortunately, he decides to threaten me.

"If Eamon dies, then I will become Arl of Redcliffe. When I'm Arl I'll yank all of the support Redcliffe gives you, then encourage the other royalty of Ferelden to do the same. The Wardens will stand without humans allies.". Human allies don't matter in the slightest to me, so I go ahead and show Teagan what I think of him. My fist _cracks_ into the side of his jaw and Teagan collapses like a sack of stones. Isolde screams as I step a few feet backwards to avoid the falling body of Teagan. Isolde moves to clutch her brother-in-law. A low, feral growl from beneath my helmet causes the woman to jerk backwards. Alistair is the next to incur my anger.

"Tabris!". I flip towards him and he flinches, but begins talking.

"I think it would be in our best interest to help the Arl.". I don't snap and growl, so the man has enough courage to continue speaking to me.

"More troops will help in the final fight, and royal allies will be able to reward all of us after the Blight is taken care of.". I chew my lip and ask a simple question that makes Alistair pause.

"Will the queen recognize what we did for her kingdom?". I know it's a hard question to answer. Loghain is currently using his daughter as a puppet. Loghain, obviously, won't recognize what the Wardens will do for the kingdom. If we were to remove Loghain, then there's still nothing saying that Anora won't turn on the Wardens for removing her father from power. Finally, Alistair manages to work up an answer.

"I don't know for certain, but I can assure you that eventually the Wardens will be recognized by the king or queen of Ferelden. Even if it takes a few years.". I don't like the idea of waiting years for a reward I should get right after the act I committed, but I suppose it depends on the reward. I ask Isolde the next question since she knows more about royalty and the workings of politics in this country.

"If the queen asks me for a boon, could I ask for the lives of the city elves in Denerim to be improved?". Isolde looks at me with a blank expression. For a moment, I fear she hasn't heard me or is too afraid to answer. Finally, the woman comes up with something and answers me.

"You could. There's no certainty you'll get what you ask for, but it also depends on how grateful the queen is towards you.". She falls silent, but adds onto her sentence as an afterthought. Although, it might also be an attempt to bribe me into saving her husband.

"Even if the queen doesn't recognize what you've done; Redcliffe will begin treating any elves that decide to live in the rebuilt city as equals to human.". I nod in satisfaction. I'm not the fearless rebel I was when I left Denerim. That girl would have ridden her horse away from Ostagar straight to the Dalish without Alistair or Morrigan at her side. My fire of hatred has been quelled by Leliana and Morrigan. Now I'm a woman who has to work alongside humans for her own benefit and pleasure. That doesn't mean I don't work for the elves; I just work for them in different ways. I think improving their lives in a meaningful way is a good start. Even if it's just in Redcliffe or Denerim. I turn my attention fully towards Isolde and tell her what I'm going to do.

"I'll heal your husband. What exactly is wrong with him?". The woman steps forward closer to me (stepping over her brother-in-law) and tells me exactly what happened.

"Eamon was poisoned! It's strong enough to have killed him; only the demon Connor summoned was keeping him alive. Now that the demon's gone I fear how long he'll live. The mage the circle took away was responsible.". I sigh and take off my helmet in order to run my fingers through my sweaty hair. I tell the woman exactly what I want to know.

"Just tell me where to get an antidote.". Isolde bites her lip before telling me something impossible. I have to refrain myself from openly rolling my eyes when she tries to tell me what I need to do.

"The Urn of Sacred ashes holds the ashes of Andraste herself, and it's said to cure any ailment. I fear it's the only thing to save my husband now.". Already, I envision the Arl dying while I'm 'looking' for the mythical ashes. Oh well, the woman will still give me what I want as long as I try. Hell, now I'll have some free time to get Morrigan's book for her. I nod like I believe her and try to get her to keep spouting off nonsense.

"Alright, I'll go get these magical ashes to save your husband.". Her eyes light up and a smile crosses her face. Damned pretty woman. If I wasn't with Leliana, then I might have tried to bed her after her husband died. Alright, I would've have because I still wouldn't have confidence in myself in a sexual way (and, I'd be a virgin if not for Leliana). But I still might have fantasized about her. I can easily tell why the woman's so happy with me. I saved her son, and now it looks like I might save her husband. I won't, but it'll look like that.

"Now, where are this woman's ashes?". Isolde's face falls and I can tell she didn't imagine she'd get this far. The woman chews on her lip for a moment before coming up with something.

"There's a scholar in Denerim! He claims to know where the ashes are! Go find him, then he'll lead you to the ashes!". I'm not going to argue with how vague her directions are or how unlikely it is that I'll be able to save her husband. Instead, I bow and give Isolde some more false hope.

"I'll find the cure to your husband's poisoning.". Isolde breaks down into happy tears. I allow the woman to hug me, then back away and motion towards Teagan.

"You'd best see to your friend. I'll gather my team and we'll head out.". Isolde bows to me and my elven pride strokes itself. As she tends to Teagan, I leave with everyone in my group trailing after me. I stop in the courtyard and motion for everyone to get around me. Everyone forms a rough circle and I tell them the plan.

"Alright, one team needs to go to Denerim and try to find the man. I'll take another team into the Kocari Wilds.". Morrigan interrupts me.

"'Korcari Wilds', not 'Kocari'.". I sigh and correct myself.

"Fine. I'll take another team to the Korcari Wilds to finish some personal business. So, obviously Duncan and Leliana are going with me.". My dog barks and my lover nods.

"Alistair, you're a complete failure and I can't trust you to do anything, so you have to go to Denerim to get out of my way. Now,". I turn towards Wynne and Morrigan.

"I love both of you, but one of you needs to go to take care of Alistair.". Morrigan meets my eyes. She nods once to show me she understands what I'm going to do. Everyone besides me (even Duncan) looks shocked when the dark witch speaks up.

"I shall go with Alistair to make sure he doesn't stub his toe, get an infection, and die.". I nod as the woman goes over to stand by the warrior. Alistair looks confused, but doesn't question it. I wrap up the 'meeting' by reminding everyone what we're going to do. I point at Morrigan and Alistair first.

"You two will take the northern entrance and go camp outside of Denerim to wait for me.". I point towards Wynne, Leliana, and Duncan.

"You three follow me.". Alistair nods and Morrigan mimics his reaction, then begins pulling the man away by the arm. I watch the two go before turning back to my group.

"Everyone set for the trip?". Duncan barks while my human companions nod. I lead my group through the slowly rebuilding village, dodging through working men and avoiding animals used for labor. On the way, I stop by the inn to get some more drinks from the road. When I enter I notice a poor maid kneeling and cleaning up beer at the busy bar. I whistle and she rises before rushing over to me.

"What's going on?". The poor woman goes on and on about how terrible her job is. I inwardly sigh at Leliana's look of pity. I fish a few gold from my pockets and shove them into her hands. The woman squeals as I leave the inn. With my good deed behind me, I leave the steaming pile of shit called Redcliffe.


	42. Fucking Dragons

The second we're alone Leliana is all over me. Her cruel fingers wrap around my throat and cut off my air; my naked back is slammed into a tree rough enough to draw blood; and her teeth are sank deep into one of my pointed ears. When she'd taken me down to the stream I'd assumed we'd be washing up before making camp. The wilds are full of vermin and bugs, so my guess was a safe assumption. At least, I though it was until I'd gotten naked. When I'd turned around to bear my naked glory before Leliana, the human had tackled me. Hence, my current position. My scarred back becomes slick while my ear is torn apart by blunt teeth.

My eyes roll back into my skull and a moan tries (and fails) to work its way up my throat. Leliana shoves her armor-clad body into me and I begin squirming. The cold, sharp metal encasing my lover is biting into my flesh and crushing the remaining air out of my lungs. Leliana gnaws on my ear like I'm a dog while continuing to increase the pressure on my throat. I close my eyes as my own heartbeat screams in my ears. My vision is blurring a hazy white around the edges and a delicious numbness has overcome me. Sadly, Leliana eventually has to end strangling me. Her fingers loosen _just_ enough I can gasp in some air. Leliana release my ear and snarls in my ear while I suck down fresh air.

"Filthy little whore. You're lucky your cunt still works, or else I wouldn't have stopped until you turned a pretty purple. Now, let's have some real fun. I didn't get to enact all of my wonderful ideas on you last time because of your damned dog. So, why don't we get to it?". I bow my head as best I can and work up my best whimper from my throat. Leliana cackles before stepping back and basically tossing me on the ground. I once again close my eyes and remain at the woman's feet. Leliana kicks me onto my side and a heavy, booted foot comes to rest on my stomach. Slowly, my lover presses down. I gasp and begin trying to worm away from her.

Leliana applies more pressure and I find my thighs far wetter than they should be. Leliana slides into a crouch with her one foot remaining solidly planted on my gut. A thick, leather item _slaps_ me across the face. I snap my eyes open and see a spiked leather mabari collar dangling from the human's fingers. Leliana's smirking face looks over me and she scoffs a single question.

"Well?". I nod and my love smirks while wrapping the collar around my neck. As she works, Leliana briefly breaks from her string of harshness to check with me.

"Are you alright?". I nod.

"I haven't gone too far yet?". Another nod.

"Alright. Say 'Alistair' if you want to stop, and pinch me if your mouth is too full. Does that sound okay to you?". I nod and my lover offers me a kind smile. Leliana finishes tightening my collar _just_ enough to make breathing difficult, but not enough that I'll pass out or die if it's left on for an extended period of time. Carefully, Leliana leans her head down to mine. A tiny bit of pressure is added to my stomach and I curl my toes at the sensation. Leliana kisses me once quickly and gently between the eyes. Then, she uses my body as a launching pad into a standing position. I groan and squirm as she crushes my insides for a brief second before heaving herself off me.

"Roll onto your stomach and get your ass in the air. I've brought a surprise for you.". I roll onto my stomach as Leliana briefly disappears into the underbrush besides the river. I look over my shoulder when I hear her coming back, but a command spoken from the bushes turns me.

"Look at the ground.". Leliana's footsteps pound over to me and a _thunk_ tells me she's dropped her 'surprise' on the forest floor. Leliana's rough hands grab onto my hips and I'm yanked about until I'm in the 'perfect position'. Leliana begins rummaging around in her bag before gently spreading my ass cheeks. My lover hums is satisfaction and seems to study me for a moment. I lie there and do my best to remain still as Leliana commanded even as her hot breath begins washing over my cunt. However, Leliana's tongue isn't what touches my cunt lips. Instead, a thick lubricant is applied to my already sopping genitalia.

I keep my head down, look at the dirt, and don't speak even as questions fill my mind. I'm already soaked from Leliana beating me; why would she want me even slicker? My unasked question is answered as a thick, freezing device is pressed against my entrance. Leliana explains to me as she gently presses the tip inside of my entrance.

"I picked this up in Denerim after we slayed Marjolaine and you weren't look. It's nothing fancy. Just one of those fake cocks I can attach to myself to fuck you. It's not tied to my right now, but I'll attach it as soon as it's balls deep inside you.". I might my tongue to keep from crying out in pleasure as the monster is gently coaxed deeper inside me. I've never taken anything larger than a few of Leliana's fingers, so this is stretching me far beyond what I thought possible.

Thankfully, Leliana is kinder in this approach. She gently eases a few inches into me, allows me to adjust to the size, and keeps pushing when she sees I've relaxed. Eventually, my breathing even begins to pick up as the cock works its way into my depths. I even find the courage to roll my hips back to show Leliana I want to go faster. The comfortable and tingling feeling of the cock stretching me is too much.

A sharp _smack_ to my ass riles me down and I just go back to accepting whatever Leliana gives me. I shudder and lie on the ground as Leliana crouches behind me and _snaps_ the cock to her armored body. I'm lifted from the ground and Leliana _thunks_ down onto her back on the ground. All the while, her cock has stayed firmly lodged within me. Now Leliana is laying on her back on the forest floor fully clothed, I'm naked sitting on her cock above her, and the bard's hands are roughly secured on my hips. A single command is given.

"Fuck yourself.". I get my legs underneath me, grab onto Leliana's knees with my hands, and begin doing exactly as she asks. It's slow at first. I just raise myself up a few inches before slowly seating myself back down onto Leliana's lap. Then, I get a little faster. taking almost half of the cock out of me before smoothly sliding back down onto the full length in a single stroke. Leliana, eventually, grows restless and her hands begin to help me. I'm raised up until the tip is threatening to leave my lips, then I'm slammed back down with all possible force. I'm not even sure who's doing most of the work, Leliana or me. I just focus on the unimaginable pleasure of being owned and fucked by Leliana in whatever way she chooses for me. Slowly, Leliana curls her back up until her lips are resting beside my pointed ear.

"My little whore. How pretty you'll looked speared on my cock every single night after the Blight is defeated. Oh yes, I'm going to start using this on you every chance I get. Watching you bounce up and down on me is one of the sexiest things I've ever seen you do.". Her cold, metal-clad hands wrap around me and grab onto my tits. No caressing or love; just rage and anger as she pinches my nipples and yanks on them like I'm a damned cow. Teeth sink into my ear and I gasp. Leliana quickly breaks away to keep whispering filth into my ear.

"I'll forbid you to wear clothes when the Blight is over. I'll get us a nice house and keep you inside all day long. Always naked and always wet for me to fuck. Hell, I'll chain you to the bed and fuck you before every meal. How does that sound? Do you like the thought of being my little fuck slave for the rest of your life?". Both of us know her threats are idle fantasy to get me going, and they're more than doing their job. I moan and begin bouncing even faster. Only now, I bring my hand down and begin rubbing my clit. Leliana doesn't let up.

"I'll send a letter to your father explaining what I've done to his little girl. You spent your entire childhood calling him 'daddy', but now I think it's my turn.". A light 'hmm' rumbles from my lover.

"How about it? Just a little to get me off since you don't have to touch me?". I groan and hesitate. I'm not sure what Leliana gets off on about me calling her a parental name, but it's definitely not going to do anything for me. And, I honestly think Leliana wants me to call her that just to show how much control over me. Although, I guess calling her it once couldn't hurt too much. A noise is suddenly brought to my attention. I don't look behind me, but I can hear Leliana is masturbating while fucking me. Well, now I have to call her whatever she wants me to call her. It'll get me out of having to 'pay her back'. I roll my hips a little and keep touching my clit as I speak.

" _Daddy_.". I feel like an absolute jackass saying it, and I'm certain somewhere in Denerim my real father just shuddered. Leliana grunts and keeps up her pace, but corrects me.

"Not 'daddy'.". I realize what she wants me to call her. Instantly, I 'break' character and tell her what I think.

"No. Too many bad wounds involving her.". Leliana nods against the back of my neck.

"As you wish. Call me mistress, at least?". I grunt before relenting.

" _Mistress_.". Leliana puts more power into her thrusts and I speed up my fingers. Soon enough, we're both shuddering and whispering each other's names. It takes us a while, but eventually Leliana heaves me onto my feet and gets me dressed. Finally, we head back to 'camp'. In reality, 'camp' is Wynne and Duncan waiting for us outside the dirt path to Flemeth's hut. I check my armor and weapons one last time. Thick, heavy armor protects me while my flaming sword still blazes on my back. I draw my weapon and everyone does the same. Finally, I enter Flemeth's grounds. Morrigan's mother is already waiting for me. She eyes my weapons as I draw nearer and sighs. When I'm close, she tries to offer me a deal.

"I know what you came for. Spare me and take the book to Morrigan. Claim I am dead, and you will live. Fight me, and you will face certain death by my hands.". I scoff at the old woman and lower my blade at her.

"Prepare for death, vile bitch!". Flemeth sighs and runs a short distance away to an open field with all of us on her heels. However, when she's there she halts. I raise my sword to strike her in the back. That's when she turns into a fucking dragon.

* * *

 **Note: Next update might be a little late. Sorry.**


	43. Dragon's Fire

Flemeth throws her head back and lets out a roar to shudder the very heavens themselves. Slobber and bile drip from her tremendous snout as she cranes her neck downwards to look at me. The beast before me is as tall as two of her huts; her four clawed feet as large around as wagons; and from the tip of her tail to the tip of her snout she's the length of seven of her huts. Thick, violet and ruby scales line her entire body with ivory teeth and claws shining in the dim lighting. Two beady, black eyes lock onto me. Flemeth's jaw drops and rows upon rows of sword sized fangs reveal themselves. Another roar that shudders the world, only this time it's directed at me specifically.

The dragon takes a step and the ground shakes. Wings the size of sailboat sails spread out around the beast. Her spikes lining her back, neck, and tail perk up and her skull begins shaking back and forth. Slowly, Flemeth rises onto her two back legs. I look behind me. Leliana is shakily aiming a bow for Flemeth's vermilion underbelly, Wynne is preparing to cast wards and healing spells, and Duncan is growling only a step or two behind me. I turn back towards Flemeth. Her monstrous claws _slam_ into the ground in front of me. Duncan and I are slammed onto the ground while Wynne and Leliana retreat. Warm air washes over me and a thick slime _smacks_ into the ground beside my head.

My sight focuses in above me and I see Flemeth's skull dangling in the air a few feet above me. A fang-filled smile crosses her lips and a light begins shining in her chest. I roll to one side while Duncan scrabbles to the other. Fire _hisses_ out of Flemeth and begins torching the ground where my Mabari and I were once huddled. Duncan makes it away safely from what I can tell. I don't have as good of luck. My body erupts into pain as five serrated claws the length of my height agonizingly constrict around me. A triumphant roar as I'm lifted into the air. A beady eye obstructs my vision. A gravely, deep voice commands me.

" _Beg_.". I wretch one burning arm free of the dragon and manage to rip my sword from my back. Flemeth's eye widens as I swig my sword as hard and quick as physically possible. Flemeth tosses me, but not before I _rip_ a large cut right above her eye. The dragon roars and begins shaking her head violently from side to side. Hot, sticky blood rains down upon me while I charge one of the bitch's leg. I use my sword like a bastard spear and thrust it into the dragon's leg. Flemeth roars once more and jerks her clawed hand off of my blade. More blood begins pooling around her. I take a brief second to scan for my team. Wynne is still casting wards and healing spells while burning through some lyrium bottles. I have a ridiculously large supply of them and Morrigan doesn't need them, so I don't mind that.

Leliana is positioned on a rock near the edge of the battlefield. Arrows are being fired at a rapid rate while Leliana keeps using her rogue powers to amplify her damage done. I scan the arrow's path and see my lover has shredded holes in Flemeth's wings. Now she won't be able to take off; although, she might still be able to use her wings to pull all of us in close. My final companion is busy gnawing on Flemeth's tail like a treat. Already, scales are ripped off and blood is spewing. Suddenly, I'm smacked across my torso by the dragon. I look upwards and see beady eyes (one with blood dripping around it) glaring at me. She raises a clawed hand again for a better punch. I leap underneath her stomach. Flemeth roars and rears. I slash my sword across her back leg.

The dragon's leg begins bleeding like crazy and a scream of agony follows. Flemeth hops away from me and (very briefly) yanks her wounded leg up to protect it from further damage. Duncan is _smacked_ in the face by Flemeth's tail and out for the fight. I scream and begin trying to avenge my knocked-out comrade. I charge toward Flemeth's other leg. An agonizing, flaming plume of fire washes over me before I can reach her. I slam my eyes shut and try to tank the blow while continuing my charge. A soft, blue glow surrounds me and I mentally worship Wynne for helping me through the dragon's fire.

Flemeth stops blowing and _chomps_ down upon my shoulder. Even her fangs can't break through the metal protecting me; however, I feel a cut open up beneath my chain-mail due to the sheer insane amount of pressure applied to my flesh. I cringe and bite my tongue. Another blue light envelopes me and I can finally attack. I begin spinning on a fixed point while aiming for Flemeth's front leg. The one that I previously speared with my sword.

Flemeth rears her head back and a familiar _hissing_ greets me. The soft blue light surrounding me doesn't protect me from the fire, but it numbs the pain to where I can't feel it washing over me. My vision is still consumed by beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows; I can just keep fighting without dying. It takes almost all of my stamina, but Flemeth's front leg is finally damaged enough.

She screams, yanks the leg up, and hops a few feet away from me. I take inventory while scanning the battlefield briefly. Wynne has burned through more potions, but she's going strong and looks good. Leliana looks almost bored and disappointed as she keeps firing arrows at the dragon. Now Flemeth's wings are shreds, and some arrows are beginning to rain down upon her armored back. None have penetrated the scales and reached flesh yet, but it'll only be a matter of time before they do. Duncan is still lying on the ground. My surveying is interrupted by Flemeth raising her wings high above her body. She _slams_ them down to the ground in one swoop. A swirling funnel begins forming around her. I turn towards my companions.

"Run! Get in the circle!". Leliana leaps off of her rock, scoops Wynne up in her arms, and begins charging towards me. Another raise of her shredded wings. Another _slam_. The funnel finally forms in a perfect circle around Flemeth and I. Leliana's steps jerk and both of them groan in pain, but they're safely inside the circle. Flemeth raises her wings once again. I slash my sword across her uninjured front leg, Leliana begins firing arrows at the leg where the scales have been shattered off, and Wynne begins healing all of our wounds and buffing us. Flemeth screams and the funnel is destroyed. Wynne and Leliana rush off as the dragon yanks up her leg and hops a few feet to the side.

The beast rears and her clawed hands are aiming specifically for me. I roll underneath her stomach. Another roar as the dragon flutters a few feet away from me. I roll with her and find myself remaining underneath her stomach. A deep growl as Flemeth runs forward. I roll and hop and run until the dragon finally stops and flips around to face where she believes I am. A growl as she sees a battlefield without me.

I charge her leg. _Just_ as she's beginning to jump away I reach it. My slash doesn't wound her enough, but her blood's beginning to flow and it's _something_. Flemeth's jump and landing is screwed up due to the sudden sensation of being cut. The mighty beast lands only a foot or two away from where she was, and I'm still underneath the base of her tail. I wind up my swing again and slice her leg open. A roar as the dragon leaps completely across the field. Her tremendous tail swats Wynne and Leliana down, but the two scrabble and run away. Flemeth, thankfully, keeps her attention trained on me. A deep growl as her head lowers to the ground.

I begin running with abandonment as her jaws _clack_ open. A watermelon sized ball of compacted fire _slams_ into the front of my armor. My charge is stopped and my body involuntarily shudders at the contact. My armor even begins to drip a little melted metal off of its front. Blue light keeps me going as I charge Flemeth. The bitch is already ready for me. Fire rains down upon me and I'm forced to guess at where her only uninjured leg is. My guess is right. When I burst form the plume of flames I'm only a few feet away from her leg. Flemeth begins jumping away just as I charge. My swing is terrible. Weak with only the tip brushing up against the scaled leg of Flemeth.

It's enough. Flemeth screams as she flaps her wings and attempts to get enough distance away from me. Her shredded appendages don't take her far, and she comes crashing down to the ground. Hard. Her final leg buckles and the mighty beast collapses onto her side. Clawed hands begin kicking for purchase as her tail and wings begin wildly flailing. Arrows begin being fired directly into her face (her neck weighing too much for her to successfully peel off of the ground without shoulder and leg muscles), and even Wynne starts firing spells into her chest. The spells must be corrosive because her scales begins slowly rotting and chipping off of her from her chest outwards. I take my sword and brave the kicking legs. I'm solidly _cracked_ on the head, but I force my way through to her chest.

Flemeth's jaws _clack_ open and a tremendous plume of fire is shot out. Only it's not directed at me this time. Wynne's soft, blue light fades from me as screams rise from both her and Leliana's lips. I don't look over my shoulder, but I can tell they've fallen. I use my sword like a spear again and plunge it into Flemeth's chest. There's not a chance in hell I'll be able to hit her heart since I don't know dragonology, but I'm hoping to cut open a major vein or _something_ to make this bitch bleed out. My hope is answered tenfold within a second.

Thick, hot blood spurts out and I rip my sword from her. A river of red floods from Flemeth. The dragon's tail and wings stops flailing. Slowly, she presses her forehead against the ground. I step back as the dragon pushes herself onto her folded legs. Her wings come out to stabilize her. Flemeth is on her stomach with her legs folded in, wings collapsed by her side, and tail brokenly trailing out behind her. Her skull bobs and shakes as she manages to turn her beady eyes towards me. A weak growl, but no fire. Not enough strength to work it up most like. A gaping maw tries to descend on me. I use my sword to _crack_ her skull to the side. The dragon's head is turned from me. I reach out and grab onto one of her horns. Flemeth is reawakened as I climb onto the base of her head where her neck meets her skull.

I grab onto one of her two largest horns with my left hand, and in my right hand I firmly hold my sword. My vision blurs and white noise fills my ears as I'm wildly taken for a ride around the battlefield (at least, where Flemeth's head can reach) over and over again in a matter of seconds. I do my best to hold onto my senses and I look down at Flemeth. At the base of her neck there's a spot without scales. A spot where if I could angle my blade _just_ right I could hit her brain without a single problem. I yank my sword back. Flemeth freezes when I finally strike.

* * *

 **Note: Next update might be late again. Sorry. Again. Also, made the dragon battle similar to what can be done in Inquisition. Just thought it would be boring to hear 'we kept hitting her, Wynne kept healing us, and she kept breathing fire'. That's generally how that battle goes for me.**


	44. The Horde

Wynne attends to herself, Duncan, and Leliana while I loot Flemeth's body. Her scales and bones disappear once I pry them off of her, so there's no way I could keep her body and make it into something. Disappointing. I do, however, find a small key attached to her heart. I gently pry the gory, blood-covered key from the stilled muscle before going over to the shack where Morrigan grew up. The door _clicks_ open when I turn the key, and I'm once again allowed inside the house where Flemeth raised one of my closest friends.

There's not much of note in the house. A fireplace with a small bed beside it (did Morrigan and Flemeth share one?) and a few containers littered around the room. I go into the tinier 'room' of the shack and find a single chest waiting for me. The book resting inside is identical to the one I found in the circle tower. I pick it up and realize I'm wrong. This book is warm, and after a few seconds of holding it I shudder when it seems to _throb_ in my hands. I hastily walk outside and whistle. Wynne finishes up on Leliana with a single flourish, then walks over to me.

"Yes?". I show her the book.

"Any idea what this is or what it's made of?". Wynne shakes her head, but reaches out and runs her fingers over the cover. A grimace crosses her face and yanks her hand away. I don't even have to ask before Wynne explains what's wrong with the book.

"I don't know what's inside of it, but I know what it's made out of. Heart.". I look at the book and feel it throb again. I shudder, but confirm it again with Wynne.

"Hearts? Like someone killed a goat and used its heart?". Wynne shakes her head.

"A book like this can only be made with dark magic. And, with a human heart only recently removed from its host.". The book throbs again. I tighten my grip on it in a refusal to follow my instincts and drop it. Wynne keeps talking while looking at the black, living book.

"The victims were probably alive before their beating hearts were removed in one swift stroke. In all honesty, there were probably alive for a few seconds after their hearts were removed.". I look at the book and ask a question I don't want to know the answer to.

"How many hearts would it take to make a book like this?". Wynne hums and examines the book for a few seconds. Finally, she comes up with a number.

"It depends on whether whoever made the book used the whole hearts, or just the 'finer' parts of the muscle. I'd guess around twenty to forty hearts depending on the situation.". I slide the beating book into my bag and try not to think about the fact I'm possibly totting around forty hearts. Leliana and Duncan finally feel the need to join us. Everyone looks good as new besides me. Wynne must have the same thought as me at the same time. She gently lays her hands on my face and pours a healing spell into me. I smile at the woman and she smiles back. Leliana is the one who breaks the smiling.

"So, shall we meet Alistair in Denerim?". I nod and clap my hands together.

"Alright everyone, let's get a move on! I want to be back in Redcliffe and see a dead Eamon before dinner!". Duncan barks and begins strutting away. However, once we're outside the area where Flemeth's hut is we see our horses nickering and pulling on their leads. Leliana and I bolt to our horses with both of us practically carrying Wynne. The older woman is the first seated and ready to go with Leliana and I tying for second. Duncan is growling, but instead of bolting he's slowly circling our horses in a protective manner. I give a command to Duncan.

"Quiet!". His lips fall back down, but he doesn't stop forming his protective circle. I guess that'll do. All three of us shush our horses. It takes a minute or two, but eventually they're quiet again. Leliana whispers a good question.

"Can you feel any darkspawn nearby?". I close my eyes and reach out with my taint. I recoil and cry out in agony. Wynne is close enough to slam her hand over my mouth to somewhat contain my cry. I hold in another cry and begin frantically nodding my head. Wynne is the next to try to get some information out of me.

"How many?". I pull back and whisper something that causes both Wynne and Leliana to frown.

"Too many. Enough to kill us. Enough to march on Denerim. We need to go and never return. Now.". Wynne and Leliana begin to move their horses around to get behind me. I hold up a hand to stop them. The _click_ and _clock_ of the horses walking will alert darkspawn with good enough hearing. Only ogres and shrieks have that kind of hearing, and both of those would kill our horses (and quite possibly us) within seconds. I slide off of my horse and dig around in our packs. I sacrifice my own sleeping bag for my idea. Considering I have Leliana, I don't think it's that big of a loss. I tear the bed into twelve strips and begin going around and tying our horses' hooves with cloth. Duncan has soft feet, so he doesn't need his paws tied.

When I'm done, I make sure each cloth is dipped in one of the puddles that cover the swampy floor. Finally, all of the horses are silenced. I mount my steed and lightly kick his sides to get him going. Snapping his reins is just as bad as screaming. The wet cloth doesn't obscure every sound, but now it doesn't sound like riders leaving the swamp. Instead, it sounds like a small group of medium or small animals going through the underbrush. An ogre isn't going to hunt small animals, and a shriek wouldn't be interested in food it can't sneak up on.

Since we aren't worthy of eating and they wouldn't imagine we'd be a threat; we're safe. Unless a darkspawn suddenly feels like reaching out with his taint and realizes that there's a weird darkspawn away from everyone else. I'm still not sure how darkspawn minds work, but I doubt they think enough to go 'hey, what's that guy doing all by himself'. Although, I do make sure to reach out every once in a while. Not enough to hurt me, but enough to ensure that we aren't being followed or investigated by any darkspawn. I realize I'm being ridiculous. I'm trying to think like a darkspawn. I have the taint of one, but that doesn't mean I am one.

A shudder runs up my spine as I remember something either Alistair or Duncan told me. When I get my calling I'll either go into the Deep Roads myself and die honorably, or darkspawn will come and get me and take me to the Deep Roads. The only mercy of the later is that I won't be turned into a broodmother; instead, I'll become a ghoul. A shambling, groaning creature who hears the call of the Old Gods. A morbid thought creeps into my mind. If I let it get that far, then what will I do? Will I seek the Old Gods like my fellows? Or will I retain some semblance of humanity and rebel against my brothers? Is that even possible? I doubt it. If it was, then I'm sure some Grey Warden ghoul would have tried to slay the Old Gods by now to prevent a future Blight.

I mean, I _think_ we know where all the Old Gods are locked away. We just can't get to them because of the tremendous amount of darkspawn blocking the way. And, a corrupted Grey Warden with enough of him/herself left would try to slay the Old Gods and permanently end the Blight. So, no. I wouldn't be myself. I'd be a shambling abomination fit to be killed. I shudder and try not to think about Leliana. I'm going to die one day. A day long, long before she does. Either during the Blight or after it. Even if I survive the Blight, I only have around twenty years before I'm called to the Deep Roads. I force myself to stop thinking about this. I'm just going to make myself sick to my stomach. Instead, I try to focus on riding.

I'm clumsy on a horse and I really wish I were riding Duncan, but it's easier on my mabari's back if I don't break it. My horse sways and keeps tossing her head. Thankfully, she still manages to be quiet. I focus on what I'm doing and reach out again for the taint. I feel it a little bit, but now I can touch it without screaming in pain. We aren't near the edge of the swamp yet, so I'm assuming the main horde isn't marching on Denerim or anywhere else. Yet. My gut tightens as I feel our adventure coming to an end. I've been having fun and there actually haven't been that many darkspawn, but I know my luck will eventually die.

I can't think anymore depressing thoughts as I finally feel my horse begin walking on solid ground. Just to be safe, I reach out along the trace of my taint. I can barely sense the darkspawn at the edge of my taint, so we'll be safe for a while. I whistle and rein in my horse, then dismount and look at my group. Duncan's legs and stomach are soaked, Leliana has leaves stuck in her hair, Wynne's staff has a vine wrapped around it, and the horses look both pissed and panicked. I sigh as I set to work cleaning everyone up.

I point out to Leliana there are leaves in her hair, tell Wynne there's a vine on her staff, and go around to take off every bit of soaking cloth off of our horses' hooves. Eventually, the horses are free and I mount up again. Now, we can ride a little quicker. I'm still awkward on my horse and don't quite know how to ride; however, having an actual road (even if it's just a dirt one that's been trodden by use) makes the process easier than the swamp. When night falls Wynne and Leliana both wish to stop. Cautiously, I rein in my horse and feel out along the length of taint running through my veins. There's still the slightest feeling of it at the very fringes of my feeling. I shake my head and try to reason with my friends.

"The darkspawn are still too close for us to stop. They wouldn't reach us tonight, but a shriek or ogre might catch our scent and start heading this way.". Leliana and Wynne both seem disheartened by the news we can't stop for the night without putting ourselves at extensive risk. Thankfully, my team understands and doesn't whine or complain when I keep pushing us into the night. A worrying thing occurs, however. I keep reaching out and feeling for the darkspawn, and they're always there at the edge of my feeling. No matter how far we ride or how long it's been since I last checked for them. I whip my horse up into an uneasy run as my nerves begin boiling. The horde is coming.


	45. The Maker

When we reach Denerim I reach out again to feel for the horde. It's still in the back of my mind buzzing like a horde of insects. They have to be planning their move on the surface fully. That means I better hurry the fuck up and get this done. No more stops and no more caring about anyone. I mean, I love all of my companions besides Alistair. Only I don't want to do anything for any of them ever again. I want to end the Blight, then retire with Leliana at my side. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a house by my father. That way, I'll be home with my lover. And, no Duncan or any other wardens to tell me to get my shit together. Just me, myself, and I.

Alistair could try to sway me, but fuck him. I stop reaching out with my blight as I reach Denerim. Wynne and Leliana dismount, then all three of us tie up our horses before making our way inside the city. Alistair is sitting in the dirt while Morrigan is practicing transforming beside him. Alistair spots me first and waves a little. I ignore him. In an alternate universe we could've be great friends. Sadly, we're in this universe and I hate him. Morrigan perks up when I near her. I only nod. The dark woman smiles and nods back at me to show her gratitude. I motion for Alistair to stand. He heaves himself up and everyone forms a circle. A few guards look at us oddly, but nobody dares to question us about our actions. I turn towards Morrigan first.

"Any leads?". I nearly laugh when she nods, but my laughter dies on the way to my lips when she hands me a paper. I snatch the bloody script from her hands and examine it. A map to a tiny village called 'Haven'. I take a few minutes to read the paper. My mother taught me how to read when I was a child, but the skill's gone rusty recently. Thankfully, I manage to make out enough of the script to know what it is. Some scholar thought the ashes of Andraste were on a mountain near Haven. I shove the paper in my pocket and question Morrigan.

"Did the scholar give this to you?". She shakes her head.

"A man posing as the scholar tried to hide this from us. He's dead now.". I chuckle and nod in approval. I clap my hands together and point at Alistair and Wynne.

"You two head down to Redcliffe. Try to keep the Arl alive. I'll go see if Andraste was real.". They nod and begin leaving. Leliana, however, is the next one to speak.

"You don't believe in Andraste?". I shrug.

"I think she was real, but I don't think she was the bride of the Maker.". Morrigan nods in approval.

"A sensible attitude. What do you believe she was?". I shuffle my feet and kick some dust near my boot.

"I always thought that Andraste was a powerful, completely mortal, mage that was never caught performing magic. And the 'Maker' was just a demon who pulled her strings to do what he wanted.". Leliana looks aghast and Morrigan looks offended. Thankfully, they follow me back to the horses. That doesn't, however, stop them from talking to me. Morrigan is the first to attack my belief.

"I don't agree with you. Andraste wasn't a mage. No mage would get possessed without anyone noticing.". I sigh and shake my head as we reach our steeds and begin mounting.

"I didn't say she was possessed. I just think she made a bad deal with a demon. Like Connor in Redcliffe. She made a deal and technically got what she wanted, but so did the demon. Or she could have willingly given herself over. Not every mage is as smart, or strong as you are.". Morrigan puffs herself up at the praise, but now it's Leliana's turn.

"How could Andraste have hidden being a mage?". I look towards Morrigan.

"Is there anything forcing you to do spells?". She shakes her head.

"It hurts to refrain your magic at first, but after a while the itch goes away. So, it's possible. Uncomfortable at first, but completely possible. She would have just had to get past puberty and learn how to control it.". I add onto my point by bringing up history.

"The land wasn't as settled back then. It would have been easy to slip away from everyone and learn about magic by yourself.". Morrigan cuts Leliana off as she's about to speak. Then, Morrigan speaks again.

"So, you believe Andraste was real?". I nod and she scoffs, but gives what sounds like a closing argument.

"I don't think you should believe Andraste was real at all, but you're my friend. That means I'll let you believe in made up stories. Only, I will say one thing. I enjoy your version far better than the others.". Morrigan falls silent and it's clear she's done speaking. Now it's Leliana's turn.

"You truly don't believe in Andraste being the bride of the Maker, or of the Maker himself?". I nod and repeat my beliefs.

"Andraste was a mage who had something to do with a demon. No Maker. Hell, the demon might have even enchanted the people around her to make them thing she was really chosen. Either way, no real Maker.". Leliana asks another question before I've truly gotten to take another breath.

"Do you believe in the elven pantheon?". I shake my head.

"More mages. Or demons. No gods.". Leliana keeps pushing into harder territory.

"What about the stone?". I laugh a little and glance at my lover. She's glaring at me. I snap my horses reins and begin our ride. When we're moving I finally answer Leliana.

"No. I don't think anyone besides dwarves believe in the stone.". One final, desperate attempt from my lover. In fact, it's starting to rub me the wrong way.

"Do you believe in the Qun?". I don't even know what the fuck the Qunari believe happens to them after they die.

"Obviously. I, an elven woman from the slums of Denerim, somehow managed to find out about what the Qun is and decided to follow it. Even more surprising, I managed to find out what their gods are.". Leliana sighs and I offer a weak middle ground.

"Will this fuck with our relationship?". Leliana sighs and I can't look at her because we're riding, but she speaks up to reassure me.

"No.". I ask Leliana a question.

"Is there any repercussions for not believing in the Maker if I reach his pearly gates?". Leliana grunts.

"Nothing specifically, if you live a good a just life.". I don't believe in the pearly white gates, and Morrigan seems to pick up on that because she's the next one to question me.

"What do you believe in?". I shrug.

"I don't know. Mostly, nothing. I think once we die it's like it was before we were even born. Just nothing. Or maybe our consciousness is strong enough to survive either in the fade, or on its own.". Leliana steps back into the conversation as we lead our horses off of the main trail.

"You believe in the fade, but not the Maker?". I point out a very important fact.

"We've been inside the fade. I've never seen the Maker.". Leliana falls silent and Morrigan is the next to question my faith.

"So, you don't believe for certain that there's even an afterlife? Just us becoming food for worms after we're gone.". Honestly, I'm tired of talking about my religion. Nobody else besides me gets questioned about her religion. I put it to rest by spelling everything out for everyone.

"I don't know if there's a Maker or not, but as of right now I see no reason to believe in one. Also, I think Andraste was a real woman, but she was just a powerful mage controlled by a demon. I don't know what happens when we die. Maybe we go to the fade, or we survive some other way. Maybe we're gone. Our bodies definitely become worm food. I don't think I'll really know what happens to us after we die until I've been dead, and by then I can't come back and tell you guys. Although, if I die before either of you I'd like you to do two things for my funeral.". They both wait.

"Pretend I was a better person than I was and had more friends, and make it seem like I believe in the Maker. I don't want my family thinking I'm burning in some pit because I was a bad person and/or didn't believe in the Maker. Also, if you believe hard enough I'll make it into that magical place.". Morrigan laughs, and when I look at Leliana she seems to be nodding a little. Although, neither seem too pleased. Morrigan wants me to believe less, and Leliana wants me to believe more. Thankfully, neither of them push the subject any harder and they both seem pleased by the knowledge about me they've gained.

I can finally focusing on riding. We're still on the main path heading southwest, but I still pull out the map from my pack. It appears a thin, rickety bridge will guide us over a thin stream/canyon. Then, a dirt path almost nobody knows about will be taken. Finally, we'll have to dismount and fight our way up another rocky, thin trail to Haven. Fuck, why does everything have to be so hard? Why can't people just build a village like a normal person. I swear I hope one day that Haven is invaded by foreigners and they have to actually build a real trail. I hate cities like this. People are so stupid I swear. I think bad thoughts about the residents of Haven until we finally reach about the halfway point to Haven. Nobody on the road has stopped us and the sun is about to set, so I call it an early night.

Everyone ties up their horses, sets up the camp, and makes dinner as a team. We do a shitty job on everything and argue, but we did it as a team and that's what matters. Well, besides Duncan because he's a Mabari and he's too precious for manual labor. All of us eat dinner and make small talk. Honestly, nobody really seems in the mood to talk. Morrigan retires to her tent first with Duncan following her. Leliana goes next and leaves me to stomp out the fire, check to make sure the horses are secured, and secure the perimeter one last time. When I crawl into bed with Leliana she doesn't even question it. She just tosses a lazy arm over my middle and begins nuzzling my neck. I mumble and close my eyes. A light kiss is pressed against my neck. Groggily, Leliana mumbles a plea with me.

"Fuck.". I mumble back and shake my head.

"We're both too tire.". She grips me a little tighter and kisses a little harder.

"Please?". I shake my head again. "

We've been banging away like rabbits since we got together.". I feel her nod against the back of my neck.

"Making up for lost time.". I hold my ground.

"I think you just want to fuck me because Morrigan is in the other tent.". She grunts, but doesn't deny it. I try to get some sense in her skull.

"I'm too sore. You'll have to let me top.". She falls silent. I lightly laugh.

"That's what I thought.


	46. Haven

Haven is a piece of shit. A guard tries to stop me when I begin walking up the path to the town. A sharp shove gets him to shut up. The freezing, snowy city is a few shacks leading upwards to a chantry in the distance. I look around and see a little boy standing outside a particularly beaten shack. He's the only person outside, so I go to him. When I near him I hear the boy mumbling something while looking at his clasped hands.

"Come, come, bonny Lynne; tell us, tell us where you've been. Were you up, were you down. Chasing rabbits 'round the town. Come, come, bonny Lynne; tell us, tell us where you've been. Come, come, bonny Lynne; we've a bed to put you in. It is soft, it is warm. It will shelter from the storm. Come, come, bonny Lynne; we've a bed to put you in. Dear, dear bonny Lynne sleeps the peaceful crib within. A mossy stone, a finger bone. No one knows but Lynne alone. Dear, dear bonny Lynne sleeps the peaceful crib within.". Morrigan manages to speak a second before we reach the boy.

"I like this child.". The boy looks at me with wide, cautious eyes. I kneel down in front of him, offer a big smile, and use some coercion on him.

"Hello, child. Might I ask about the town?". The boy offers a wide, toothy smile and asks me a question.

"Do you want to see a secret? I can show you a secret. Just promise not to tell.". I nod and hold up my hand.

"Promise.". The boy shows me the item clutched between his hands. A shining, bleached bone rests in his palms. He whispers to me.

"I found it by the mountain.". I can't stop my reaction. I smack it out of his hands and the bone goes flying.

"My finger!". The boy runs after his bone. I stand, thrusts my hand up into the air, and begin charging towards the nearest shack. I _slam_ the door down with my foot and begin screaming as I enter.

"What the fuck is this town?!". The empty, abandoned shack has a bloody alter in the corner.

"What the fuck is this house?!". Duncan runs over and begins licking the alter.

"Duncan, is that human blood?". He growls and comes running back to me with his tail between his legs. I spin out of the building and begin running like mad. I find the convenience store and charge inside. The man inside is screaming and banging his dagger on his counter. I ignore him and begin running around the building. I don't quite know what I'm doing, but I'm hoping it's working out. Eventually, I find myself in the back of the store. I find a large pile of bodies stacked in the back with blood splattering the walls.

"What the fuck is this?!". Screaming and growling from outside the room cause me to stick my head outside. Leliana, Morrigan, and Duncan have already killed and torn apart the owner of the store who, apparently, started attacking the group. I give everyone commands as I charge out of the building.

"Fuck it. Kill the town.". Thankfully, nobody seems to have any qualms with destroying this damned place. When we're outside I instantly turn right towards the chantry. Already, a militia is forming at the top of the hill to attempt to repel us. I pull me sword, shake it a little to get my shoulders loose, and charge up the incline with Duncan right beside me. Arrows and spells fly past us as we struggle up to meet the people already attempting to form a defensive line.

The unarmored men and women are cleaved in two by my blade while my Mabari rips their throats and stomachs out. Arrows meet little resistance from their clothing, and fire spells quickly catch the cotton on fire. It's not even a battle; it's a slaughter. Blood pours like a river around me as Duncan finishes the last dying villager with a swift bite to the neck. I wait until Leliana and Morrigan join me, then kick down the door of the chantry. I leap inside, raise my sword high, and ask a simple question.

"What the fuck is going on here?!". I'm met with shouts and roars as the entire group of worshipers flip around to look at me. The high priest (isn't it suppose to be a priestess?) points a finger at me and commands his followers.

"Kill them! Don't let them get to the sacred ashes! No outsider must reap their rewards!". Another slaughter. No villager can even try to stand up to the sheer force my group is. We've become similar to gods among mortals. Morrigan is capable of calling down storms of fire, Duncan has honed the blood of his gigantic wolven ancestors, Leliana can pin a fly to a wall hundreds of feet away, and I'm a fortress of metal and muscle. Trained professionals couldn't hope to take us down; this group has no chance. The biggest threat is the priest himself who can wield some magic if the fireballs forming in his palms are anything to judge by. Morrigan's own fireball and arrows from Leliana take him out within moments. That leaves the horde of villagers for Duncan and I.

A feral, thunderous howl from Duncan has all of the enemies clutching their ears and falling to their knees. A single sweep with my sword takes out the first row of opponents, and another sweep takes out everyone else. I take a moment to loot the bodies. Some coin and a key, but not much else. Finally, I begin ransacking the chantry in search of the ancient ashes to heal Arl Eamon. Unfortunately, I don't find them. Fortunately, I find a wounded scholar who looks like he might know where they are. When I approach him the man quivers and barley manages to whimper his fearful question at me.

"Have they sent you to finish the job? To finally put me out of my misery?". I'm tempted to go ahead and say 'yes', but that might not work out for me in the long run.

"No. In fact, I actually killed all of them.". The balding, pale man sighs in relief and begins motioning towards his obviously injured leg.

"They wounded me when I came here looking for the ashes of Andraste.". I kneel down beside him and examine his leg. Eventually, I have to ask Morrigan.

"Morrigan?". She hums and doesn't bother even examining it or kneeling beside me. She just replies after a few seconds of looking at his leg from where she's standing a few feet away.

"It might need to be cut off.". The man sighs and shakes his head.

"That was what I feared.". He turns his attention fully to me and doesn't say another word to Morrigan.

"It doesn't matter, though. There's an entrance up on the mountain, but the priest was the one with the key.". I dig around in my pocket and show him the key I took from the priest.

"Is this the key?". His face lights up and he begins shaking his head while struggling to get up. Leliana and I heave him to his feet and the man begins motioning to lead us to where we need to go. Morrigan and Duncan trail behind us as the wounded scholar leads up outside the chantry, around to the back of the building, and up about a mile incline to the very base of the mountain that looms over Haven like a protector. I awkwardly use one arm to steady the man while turning the key inside the lock. Leliana and I sit the man down on a rock near the entrance. The scholar speaks to us as I examine the area around us.

A tremendous, glittery cavern of ice higher than the halls of the dwarves, longer than the ruins of the elves, and cleaner than the palaces of the humans. Pillars of sharpened ice erupt from the ceiling and floor with nary a scratch on them, every surface in the cavern reflects as clear as any mirror, and I can barely see in the distance a form of stairs leading upwards higher into the mountain. I was ignoring the scholar, but I get the general idea of his speech. He's staying here while we hunt down the ashes. He also warned of cultist or some shit. I nod and begin leading everyone deeper into the mountain. As we walk, I slightly lean down to run the tips of my fingers along the chilling floor and watch my own face stare back at me from the ice. My breath puffs out in front of me as I ask Leliana a question.

"Do you think the dwarves would like to live here?". My lover shakes her head as we continue deeper with the stairs becoming slowly visible in the distance.

"Not enough stone, and their ancestors didn't live here. Besides, you've seen their capital. They prefer lava and heat over ice and cold.". Morrigan makes a sarcastic offer.

"If the dwarves don't want it, then why not let the elves have it?". It was meant to be mocking, but it wasn't. Instead, it actually has me thinking. Teagan claimed the queen would give me whatever I want. I just now decided what I want.

"I want this mountain.". A cruel laugh echoes around the cave from Morrigan. Leliana doesn't laugh, but she still disagrees with me. "

Tabris, I don't think that's possible. You're only one woman, and a single person can't claim a mountain. Besides, I'm sure somebody has already claimed it.". I bristle and defend my idea. Obviously, two humans wouldn't agree with me.

"Yes, someone _has_ claimed it. Haven. The village of murderers we just killed. They're all going to be dead by the end of this. So, why can't I say I own the mountain? I killed everyone in it.". Leliana keeps trying to convince me to give up the mountain.

"If you murdered your father, then you wouldn't get his house.". I stop roughly three stone's throws away from the stairs, turn towards Leliana, and challenge her.

"What will happen to this mountain if I don't own it? A lord will prance in here, stick his cock in it, and claims he owns it. Or, it won't be owned by anyone and it'll be worthless. I want the mountain. I'm going to ask the queen to give it to me after I save her country from the Blight.". Leliana bites her lips, but it appears she's finally given in and decides to agree with me about the mountain.

"Alright. Ask Anora for the mountain. But how are you going to live here with your family and friends?". I scoff and motion towards where Haven is.

"The dwarves have a market outside their mountain. We can do the same. Besides, I'm sure the Dalish would swarm here if they were assured they could continue their way of life without being hunted for squatting on human land.". Leliana shrugs and tells me something simple.

"I'll follow you wherever you go, but I'm going to complain if we end up sleeping on a bed of ice.". Morrigan hasn't said anything and it doesn't look like she's going to, so I just turn around and continue our journey to the stairs. We've barely reached the snowy, icy stairs when a call goes up from somewhere. Cultist mages and warriors begin pouring down the stairs. My entire group springs into action instantly and works to bring our enemies deaths.


	47. I Honestly Hate This Mountain

It becomes apparent halfway through the fight that Duncan and I are just bait to keep the enemies away from Morrigan and Leliana. I realize this when Morrigan keeps using spells that knock all of our enemies down, but likewise bring Duncan and I to the ground. Each time we pick ourselves up Morrigan will cast just another spell that sends us back down. Leliana, however, is better. Her arrows don't harm us; she just constantly keeps killing enemies Duncan or I were winding up to kill on our own. Duncan only manages to get a howl out the entire fight, and I don't even get that. Morrigan just keeps knocking me down.

I literally know what it's like to be a worm used to catch fish. Thankfully, the enemies are killed before I am. The spells Morrigan used were a mix of fire and ice, so I'm a little too warm and a little too cold in varying parts of my body. That's about the worst of it. Duncan looks a little angry and his Kaddis is slightly smeared. I make a mental note to reapply both mine and his Kaddis once we're at a stopping point. The stopping point is when Morrigan and Leliana climb the stairs to join us at the top of the stairs. Three doors await us, but I use the time to kneel and call Duncan over. Neither Leliana nor Morrigan question me as I dig around in my bag, pull out some white warpaint, and begin applying it to Duncan's fur. As I paint I tell my dog a story.

"You were named after one of the best people I know. He was a human, but he was a good one. He saved me, and even offered me my freedom when I didn't want to be a Grey Warden. Gave me a map and horse to be on my way. Only he'd saved my life before, so I followed him. Figured I owed him. He's dead now and he didn't have any kids. I figured he'd live on in you since you're such a grand and mighty Mabari. So, when they sing songs of me and the people that stopped the Blight they'd be singing Duncan's name. Your name. You're a brave, strong dog that lives up to the name 'Duncan' perfectly.

I'm sure that if the human Duncan could see you now he would be proud. You've also made the name your own, so don't think that you're just living to be honorable. You're still your own Mabari and don't need validation from anyone. Especially the dead of this world.". My Mabari gives my face a sloppy kiss as I finish applying a skeleton's design to his pelt intended to help him do more damage. I get naked before I apply some Kaddis to me in a matching skeleton pattern. Morrigan tries to defeat my story as I finish putting on my Kaddis.

"The bards won't sing about your Mabari.". Leliana replies to the mage before I can.

"I think the important countries will. Ferelden loves Mabaris, so they wouldn't pass up on a chance to sing of a famous one. And, Orlais loves the stereotypical version of a Ferelden with a Mabari. They wouldn't pass up the chance of making a Ferelden hero's best friend be her Mabari.". Morrigan gets a little chuckle at the last part, and their conversation has given me enough time to get dressed. Duncan sniffs my leg to acquaint himself with the scent of our matching Kaddis.

Each Mabari and 'owner' (honestly, 'partner' is a better word) need to wear matching Kaddis in order to tell one another apart in battle. Mostly, it's for Duncan's benefit. I haven't seen anyone use too many Mabari in battle against us. Besides, his warpaint is white and has trouble standing out against his coat. Duncan kisses my leg to show me he's done getting a sense of the scent of the Kaddis we share.

I scratch his ear and pat him between the eyes. When I'm done petting him I go over to the leftmost of the three doors and open it. We've only gone a few feet into the hallway when a door to the left bursts open and a bronto charges out. I groan as Morrigan shoots a spell at it, but sigh when it doesn't bring Duncan and I to the ground this time. Duncan and I charge the beast while Leliana and Morrigan focus on the cultist that have appeared further down the hallway to see what caused their bronto to charge from his holding place. I yank back my sword and swing it deep into the bronto's shoulder.

The beast groans as Duncan leaps onto its back and sinks his fangs deep into the creature's thick hide. Duncan starts gnawing away in an attempt to reach a vein while I rip my sword out, step to the side of the bronto, and use my sword like a spear to go through the side of the bronto's neck. Duncan successfully rips open the back of the bronto's neck while I thrust my weapon through all of the veins running through both sides of his neck. The bronto rolls his eyes as he collapses onto his side. I look down the hallway and see Morrigan and Leliana have already dealt with the cultist that were attempting to help their bronto. Everyone gathers begin me as I lead us down the hall, around a corner to the right, and around another corner to the left.

A doorway up ahead is thrown open and more cultist pour out to meet us. Morrigan and Leliana take them out instantly. A few arrows and a powerful spell are enough to take them out. Unfortunately, when we take the left corridor there are two doors that are flung open to allow more cultist to pour out to fight us. And, Morrigan doesn't have any powerful spells at the ready due to none of them being ready to cast again while Leliana is out of stamina to use any of her attacks.

Now it's Duncan and my time to shine. My dog tackles a cultist to begin mauling him, and I start swinging my sword with all of the power remaining in my arms. I take out three unarmored cultist, Duncan tackles another armored one, and Leliana and Morrigan team up to use their regular attacks to kill the only other armored cultist. The cultist Duncan has in his mouth is the last killed as my Mabari locks his jaws around this man's throat in order to rip it out.

We turn left down the final corridor, but this time the door doesn't swing open on its own. I give our entire group a little time to catch our breath and stretch. When everyone's ready I walk down the corridor and open the final door. One mage cultist and three unarmored cultist attack us. Duncan and I collapse to the ground as the enemy mage casts a fireball at us. Morrigan quickly retaliates with a blizzard that kills everyone in the room that isn't on her side.

I loot the bodies of everyone in the area (finding a key on one corpse) before returning to the main room. The key doesn't open the door I want (the middle one that probably leads higher into the mountain) or the door to the right, but I remember seeing two doors on our way here before the stairs. One was already opened, so I'm betting this key opens the closed other door. I descend the stairs, carefully step over corpses, and find the door. Sure enough, the key unlocks it. I step into a large, barren room full of cultist that're busying talking among themselves. Apparently, I've interrupted some sort of meeting.

A meeting that promptly turns into a group meeting of the 'use all the spells we can to knock the warrior and dog down' club. Morrigan and Leliana carry us through the fight as Duncan and I get slammed down, stand back up, and get slammed down again. Thankfully, I find another key on one of the bodies. I retrace my steps, return to the door, and open the door to go deeper into the mountain. This room has a set of stairs that lead upwards with two outcrops on either side of it, a brazer at the top of the steps, and cultist surrounding the entire room. Thankfully, there's only one mage this time and an arrow from Leliana brings him to his knees. Without him in our way Duncan and I are able to fight for once.

My hound runs off to where I can't see him due to the fact I'm instantly swarmed with warriors. Their blows harmlessly _dink_ off of my armor and I'm free to swing my sword wildly until they're dead. Clearly, this area would have been a challenge for me when I first started my journey, but by now all of us are so battle-hardened that this place is like a fun stroll through a park. Duncan returns to me covered in blood and a wolfish grin. Morrigan and Leliana walk over to me with nary a scratch on either of them. I lead all of us up the stairs and open the door to our next battle.

Traps are littering the room, but Leliana quickly rushes by me and begins disarming them. Meanwhile, the three cultist in the room charge us. Morrigan blows one up, Duncan rips one throat out, and I let out impale himself on my sword. Leliana wipes her hand clean as I lead us through the room and into the next area after lighting a brazer to continue. A circular platform is in the middle of a large room and a statue is against the wall in front of us. We've barely entered when a wraith made of ash appears in the middle of the platform and screams. Duncan charges it, Leliana begins firing, and Morrigan uses the only ice spell she knows on him. I charge in and begin swinging while using all of the moves I know. The wraith manages to scratch Duncan up pretty good, but he's dead before he can do much else.

When the wraith is gone is when Cultist begin pouring in through two hallways on either side of the room. There's only four in total, so we each get one. Well, I actually don't. Leliana takes mine out for me before I can, and when I look towards her I only get a smile and kiss blown my way. I kiss back at her before heading through the eastern hallway. The hallway is normal and leads us to a turn that'll take us up stairs deeper into the mountain. We climb the stairs, open a door, and find more cultist waiting for us in a square chamber. Duncan howls to stun them, and they're pretty easy pickings from there. The next stairway leads even higher into the mountain and takes us deeper. Finally, we reach a grand staircase with thick, iron doors at the end. I lead everyone up, but stop right before we enter.

"Everyone good?". Duncan barks, but Morrigan and Leliana file complaints.

"I would like some more arrows, my love.". Morrigan scoffs.

"I want some lyrium potions, my friend.". Leliana scoffs back, but neither seem too particularly upset with one another. I give them both what they want, then begin commanding them. Duncan first.

"Stay by me.". He barks and I turn to Leliana.

"Lay down cover fire.". She nods and stands a little taller. Now Morrigan.

"Be a healer.". She whines, but nods. I turn and enter the deeper recesses of the mountain.


	48. The Guardian

We exit the temple and enter a cavern. I'm a little shocked by the sudden change, but don't question it too much as we go forward. Slowly, the passage gradually curves right. I can see a tremendous cavern 'room' when the dragonlings attack. Three of them charge us from the front while one tries to take us from behind. Duncan turns around and bounds off to fight the one behind us while Leliana and Morrigan do their specialty. Morrigan begins firing off medium-powered ice spells while Leliana switches to ice arrows. I charge in close. One of the dragonlings becomes frozen, but the other two attack me.

One sinks his teeth deep enough into my armor to pierce my leg and the other hops onto his back legs to _slam_ his front paws against my shoulders. I stumble backwards as Leliana and Morrigan work on getting the one that has his teeth in my leg off. Thankfully, the one biting into me quickly releases his grip in favor or stampeding at Morrigan. Unfortunately, the one with his claws on my shoulder can now force me onto the ground. A tremendous weight settles on my chest as razor-like claws rip through my shoulders' armor. The beast's gigantic mouth comes to wrap around my head. His fangs _crunch_ into my helmet and the dragonling begins attempting to crush my skull inside my armor. My sword is smashed between us, so I use all of my strength to force my blade upwards.

The dragonling doesn't make a sound, but his jaw relaxes while blood pours down on me. Slowly, the dragonling rolls off of me as dead as a doornail. I heave myself up and find the frozen dragonling has thawed and is stumbling around in a circle. I _snap_ his head off of his neck with a single swing. Morrigan, Leliana, and Duncan have taken care of the other two dragonlings and move to get behind me. I keep my weapon drawn as I enter the cavern's large opening. A room full of stalactites and stalagmites with little walking room awaits me. A mage cultist, three cultist warriors, and a drake are awaiting us. The drake and warriors run at us while the mage begins casting buffs and healing spells on his allies. I push my way past the drake and warriors to focus on the mage.

The cultist screams for help as I near him, but his screaming doesn't stop me from plunging my blade deep into his belly and pulling out his bleeding, slimy intestines. The buffs and healing spells disappear from our enemies as the warriors surround my three friends and the drake begins galloping over to me. The creature spreads his mouth wide and attempts to swallow me whole. I drop my sword and allow it. The drake seems to purr in content as he begins swallowing me. My world goes dark as slimy, pulsing muscles surround me. I shudder and wait until I'm halfway down the drake's throat to act.

I thrust my arms outwards just enough that it'll stop me from going down his gullet, but not enough that any air can pass by me. A gagging sound rings in my ears as the drake begins shaking his head and trying to spit me out. I hold tight and feel the convulsions of his throat begin to speed up in panic. I'm in the drake's throat for almost three whole minutes before he collapses to the ground. Slowly, I slide out of the slimy tunnel.

Leliana, Duncan, and Morrigan are all waiting for me when I finally exit the drake's throat. All three of them (including the Mabari) looks absolutely disgusted. I feel slime sliding off of me and realize why. The slime burns when it enters my cuts, but I ignore it and examine the drake. The creature is still breathing and was apparently only unconscious. I get my sword and speak to my team as I begin hacking the animal up.

"Thanks for the help. I appreciated not having to be in there any longer.". My dog whimpers, Morrigan scoffs, and Leliana offers an actual apology and explanation.

"I'm sorry we didn't help. We were afraid we'd hit you, and the drake was already choking by the time we killed the other enemies that were after us.". I grunt to accept her apology while kneeling down and taking a few scales from the drake. Finally, I exit the cavernous room into another small 'hallway' leading northward. The cave hallway we walk through eventually leads to a split. One pathway leads straight while the other leads to my left. I take the left path. Almost instantly, a drake is blocking our way. The beast flares his wings, raises his head high, and screeches. Duncan and I are upon him within a second. My dog sinks his fangs into the drake's leg while I thrust my sword upwards into his chest. An arrow to the eye and ball of ice to the neck end the drake. I strip him of some scales before continuing down the path.

Gradually, the path guides us rightward. We enter a square room with four pillars, traps on either side of us, and five cultist littered around the room. I charge two mages standing close together and leave my team to take care of the rest. Both mages scream as I approach them. The first death is brought on when I decapitate one. The second death is brought when the last mage turns to flee and I spear him through the back.

I watch the idiot slide off of my blade as the rest of my team joins me. I smile a little as I see all of us are splattered with blood. I sheathe my weapon and continue down yet another curving path. We're brought to a straight path that once again leads northward. A light at the end of the tunnel signals we've reached the end of the mountain's inner passages. Unfortunately, someone is already waiting for us at the end of the hall in another tremendous room of icy stalactites and stalagmites.

A man in thick, violently scarlet armor struts up to me with his arms spread wide. I don't give the man a chance to speak. I charge without question and a battle begins. Multiple cultist surround us while mages begin casting from a safe distance away. Now the battle returns to where Duncan and I are live bait. We're knocked down again and again and again as Morrigan cast spells that force us to the ground. Mostly, we distract the warriors while Morrigan takes them out, and Leliana focuses on killing the mages. Finally, when the battle's done we're free to walk (or stumble in the case of Duncan and I) out of the cave.

The mountaintop before us is a rocky, icy, and barren place. We begin walking out into the open when it happens. The world seems to shake as a wild wind whips around us. My eyes go skyward and see a great, gigantic dragon flying overhead. The sun glints off of her scales and her wings block out the sun. A fierce roar rocks me as the beautiful creature flies up atop one of the cliffs surrounding the clearing and nestles down for a nap. A gong in the center of the clearing tells me how I'll summon her down to fight. Instantly, I'm running for the gong. If we can kill Flemeth, then we can definitely kill this dragon. I've even got the hammer in my hands when Morrigan and Leliana catch up to me and force the hammer from my hands. I stomp my foot like a child as I turn to face the two. Morrigan is the first to speak.

"No.". Leliana tries to appease me when I keep pouting and make it clear I'm not going to let this go.

"Please, can't we wait until we have the ashes? Fighting a dragon right now seems a little rash right now.". I hesitate. I want to fight the dragon, but my friends might not fight their hardest if they aren't willingly going into battle. I mumble a question at both of them.

"Promise we'll fight it on the way down?". Morrigan grimaces, but nods. Leliana nods while Duncan just looks at me while wagging his tail. I relent and begin leading us towards the other side of the mountaintop's clearing. Leliana and Morrigan place the hammer down by the gong on our way out. A door leads into a cleaner, brighter part of the building within the mountain. I go through a small hallway and enter another white, bare room with a single door. Standing in front of the door is a man armored from head to toe without a single weapon on him. I'm tempted to draw my weapon, but there's an essence about him that makes me not wish to. When I approach him the man bows and acknowledges me.

"Greetings, travelers. What do you seek?". I sigh and see he's not going to let me pass him without talking.

"We seek the Urn of Sacred Ashes.". He nods and keeps speaking.

"I am the guardian of the ashes. You need not fight me, but there are trials you must past. First, I would like to ask you some questions.". I nod as Morrigan and Leliana huddle behind me. First, the guardian asks me his question.

"Do you feel like you failed Shianni? The halls ran red with the blood of those who harmed her; yet, you did not reach her in time.". I suck in a deep breath and it feels like someone's punched me directly in the heart. I haven't even thought about my family since this entire adventure started. Hell, it's been almost six months since I've been away from them. I nod at the guardian and tell him what I think.

"I'll always feel like I failed her. I looted corpses and stopped to clear every room of enemies before reaching her. Hell, I didn't even run as quickly as I physically could have. There were a thousand things I could have done differently to save her.". The guardian nods in acknowledgement. Now it's Leliana and Morrigan's turns to speak to me. Morrigan goes first.

"I'm not completely sure what happened, but you avenged the wrong done to Shianni. I know you, and I'm certain you took whatever price was required. Besides, death is the ultimate punishment.". Leliana rests her hand on my shoulder. My lover takes a gentler stance to the situation.

"You should leave the past where it is. Thinking about what you could have done will only make you miserable.". The guardian waits until we've all fallen silent to turn to Morrigan. He opens his lips and starts to ask his question.

"Do-". Morrigan shoots the man down in an instant.

"I won't play your games or answer any of your questions, so move on. My regrets and secrets aren't for you or anyone else to know.". The guardian nods and tells Morrigan only one more sentence.

"I respect your choice.". The guardian now turns to my lover. His question almost makes me want to attack him just for the hell of it.

"The Maker only spoke to Andraste and not not a soul since. Your craved attention back in the Chantry at Lothering. Do you feel as if you made up your vision for attention, even if it was negative attention?". I don't believe in the Maker and Leliana very well could have made her story up, but nobody questions my love in such a blunt manner. I step in before Leliana can answer.

"Fuck off and let us pass. I'm the star here, and only my answer matters. Besides, what are you gonna do next? Question my dog?". Duncan barks to show his willingness. The guardian sighs before disappearing in a flash of light.


	49. Shianni's Shade

The next room we enter is long with arches every few feet and alcoves in between the arches. Standing in every alcove in a spiritual version of a person. Four alcoves are on either side of the room with the door at the end, so there are eight people in total. I approach a man in chantry robes first. The dark-haired man bows to me before speaking.

"I am Cathaire, disciple of Andraste and commander of her armies. I saw all these things done, and knew that He smiled on us.". When I don't respond he keeps going.

"No man has seen it but all men know it. Lighter than air, sharper than any sword. Comes from nothing but would fell the strongest armies. Of what do I speak?". Well, shit. I'm terrible at riddles. I shrug.

"I don't know.". The man nods in satisfaction.

"Perhaps you know nothing of suffering or war. There is wisdom in innocence, too. Go forward.". He disappears as a wisp that flies insanely quick towards the door and collides with it in a flash of light. I ignore the ache in my stomach and continue to the next person. A woman in peasant's clothes with ragged, brown hair greets me. She nods instead of bowing before talking to me.

"A dream came upon me, as my daughter slumbered beneath my heart. It told of her life and her betrayal and death. I am sorrow and regret. I am a mother weeping bitter tears for a daughter she could not save". I nod to pretend I care about the supposed ghost of a woman long dead. She nods back at me and tells me her riddle.

"Echoes from a shadow realm, whispers of things yet to come. Thought's strange sister dwells in night, is swept away by dawning light. Of what do I speak?". I hesitate and try to thing of something. She said a dream came to her. Is that the answer? The other guy accepted 'I don't know' as an answer. Will she accept it? Probably not. The spirit clears her throat and I panic.

"Dreams!". The shade disappears and I smile a little at my luck. The next woman I approach has red hair and is wearing slightly fancier peasant's clothes. They're still poor people clothes, but not as ragged as the last woman's clothes. The shade doesn't bow or nod to me.

"The smallest lark could carry it, while a strong man might not. Of what do I speak?". I begin chuckling as I start to answer 'a coconut'. Leliana slapping me on the back makes me answer what's probably the right answer.

"A tune.". The shade nods in happiness at me.

"Yes. I was Andraste's dearest friend in childhood, and always we would sing. She celebrated the beauty of life, and all who heard her would be filled with joy. They say The Maker himself was moved by Andraste's song, and then she sang no more of simple things.". I know the next man I approach. The same once wiped from the sacred chantry by humans. The bald elven man is dressed for battle. I'm still not sure if these are the real spirits or shades or whatever, but I still deeply bow before Shartan. My mother and father made sure I knew of the elf that helped Andraste during her rebellion.

"Arise, fellow elven.". I rise and the shade of Shartan has a slight smile on his face as he asks me his riddle.

"I'd neither a guest nor a trespasser be. In this place I belong, that belongs also to me.". I don't need to guess or say I don't know. My eyes hurt as I realize Shartan and I have the exact same dream for our people. Only he had the backing of Andraste and I don't have anyone on my side. Shartan gives me a sympathetic look as I whisper the answer.

"Home.". Shartan nods at me and speaks directly to me instead of our group.

"It was my dream for the people to have a home of their own, where we would have no masters but ourselves. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and thus we followed Andraste, against the Imperium. But she was betrayed, and so were we.". Shartan disappears in a flash of light. For a moment I remain there. Leliana reaches out and pats me on the shoulder. Morrigan doesn't touch me, but asks me a question.

"You alright?". I shrug and, weakly, Morrigan tries to cheer me up.

"Come on. The sooner this is over the sooner you get your mountain for you and your elves.". The next red-haired woman I meet is in traditional Tevintar robes. She snarls and sneers when she sees me.

"I am justice. I am vengeance. Blood can only be repaid in blood.". I decide to have some fun with the spirit and take some of my frustration/anger out on her.

"Are you snarling at me because I'm an elf not chained to your feet, or because I'm not a prissy little mage?". Morrigan speaks up over my shoulder.

"Hey!". The spirit snorts at me and snarls her riddle.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The debt of blood must be paid in full. Of what do I speak?". I decide to tell her the answer and get it over with.

"Vengeance". The woman nods and tells me what she means.

"Yes. My husband Hessarian would have chosen a quick death for Andraste. I made him swear that She would die publicly with Her warleaders, that all would know the Imperium's strength.". I manage to say something to the woman as she disappears.

"Well, you're kind of a bitch, aren't you?". I swear I hear her curse as she disappears. The next man I meet is covered in armor and has a white beard reaching his chest.

"A poison of the soul, passion's cruel counterpart; from love she grows, till love lies slain. Of what do I speak?". I hesitate and Leliana grabs my shoulder. Carefully, she leans forward and whispers the answer directly into my ear.

"Jealousy.". I stand tall and confidently tell the man my answer.

"Jealousy.". The bearded man nods at me without acknowledging Leliana, so I'm assuming he didn't hear my lover whispering to me.

"Yes, jealousy drove me to betrayal. I was the greatest general of the Alamarri, but beside Her I was nothing. Hundreds fell before Her on bended knee. They loved Her, as did the Maker. I loved her too, but what man can compare with a god?". He disappears and I move onto one of the last two people still here. Another bald man in chantry robes. He bows deeply before me, then asks me his riddle.

"The bones of the world stretch towards the sky's embrace. Veiled in white, like a bride greeting her groom. Of what do I speak?". Morrigan is the one to whisper the answer.

"The mountains.". I hiss back at her.

"You sure?". The shade glares at me and I offer a weak smile. He sighs and motions at me to give an answer.

"The mountains?". He nods, but sounds disappointed when he says his next line.

"Yes. I carried Andraste's Ashes out of Tevinter into the mountains to the east where She could gaze ever into Her Maker's sky... No more fitting a tomb than this could we find.". The man disappears into the door like all of the others. I look around the room and see that only one more sprite or shade or whatever remains to question me. This man is a mage with a large sword strapped to his back. He sneers at me as he tells me his riddle.

"She wields the broken sword, and separates true kings from tyrants. Of what do I speak?". I open my mouth, but Morrigan and Leliana both hiss the answer in my ears.

"Mercy.". I say the word automatically without thinking.

"Mercy.". Another nod before he says his parting words.

"Yes. I could not bear the sight of Andraste 's suffering, and mercy bade me end her life. I am the penitent sinner, who shows compassion as he hopes compassion will be shown to him.". The final shade disappears into a flash of light and the door flies open. I rush towards it, but find myself stopping only a few feet into the new room. Shianni is there. Well, kind of. I can tell it's not the real her. Her face is too clear and the familiar smell of _her_ (smoking oak wood and fine wine) isn't radiating off of her like it should. And, if I squint I can see through her midsection and see the wall behind her.

This is another shade. Morrigan, Leliana, and Duncan finally catch up to me. I expect this Shianni to ask me another riddle to let me pass. Instead, one of my closest and dearest friends offers me a smile. My chest aches and I'm reminded of what I did in Denerim after becoming a warden. I went to help Leliana and promised that I'd go visit my family, but I never even tried or even went over to the entrance to see if it was open. The fake Shianni speaks in a voice that sends a shudder up my spine.

"Hello, cousin.". Her voice is too smooth and soft for the real Shianni. I try to make sense of it.

"What are you? Are you part of the gauntlet, the mountain, or Shianni herself? I know you're not the real her.". The shade nods in agreement, but her smile doesn't falter as she explains it to me.

"Maybe a little bit of all. I honestly don't know; though, I do know I speak for her.". She steps towards me. Instinctively, I feel one of my legs jerk backwards. The shade Shianni doesn't take offence. She just keeps on smiling while talking again.

"You shouldn't keep living in the past. It's been almost a year since you left. I've worked through what happened, and the deaths of Arl's son and his men helped me. Knowing they could no longer harm anyone else helped me. You did that. You made them pay for what they did. You can't keep gnawing over what happened like a dog worrying at a bone. Please. For my sake. I don't want you to suffer. Hell, if I even knew you were alive.". She reaches into her ghostly shirt and pulls out a necklace. As she passes it to me the shade Shianni gives me some helpful advice.

"Hurry up with your quest. Everyone misses you, and things are beginning to turn badly for the elves.". She begins to fade, but I beg for more.

"What do you mean things are turning badly for the elves?". The shade Shianni offers a sadder smile as she continues fading.

"I don't know.". When she's gone I look at what she gave me. In my palm rests a simple amulet with a mirrored back and an archaic symbol of the Chantry on the front. When I'm gazing into the silvered backing, there are fleeting glimpses of someone else: the face is familiar, and the smile encouraging. Shianni is encouraging me along my quest. Or at least, Shianni's shade is encouraging me along my quest.

I slip the necklace around my neck and take off the necklace that I got after I went through the Joining. I consider giving the necklace to Leliana or Morrigan, but decide against it. I'm a Grey Warden and this necklace is meant purely for Grey Wardens. It's not right to give it to them. I slide my old necklace into my pocket and motion for everyone to follow me. I need to get through this to get back to Denerim. Quickly.


	50. The Gauntlet

The next chamber we enter is large with torches surrounding the room and a statue of Andraste with a shield on the opposite wall. A single door is beside the statue and the way behind us is, obviously, leading us nowhere. My team and I have barely entered the room when the statue shudders and _hisses_. A ghostly Duncan appears on the statue's right, Morrigan on the left, and Leliana right below it. None of them move. I cock my head, squint, and start talking to my team.

"What-". A _crack_ to the back of my head sends me reeling and stumbling farther into the room. My ghost dog is running at me with blinding speed. The real Duncan _slamming_ into it is the only thing that saves me from an angry Mabari to the face. The two Mabaris howl, bark, snarl, and snap together in a mass of fur and fangs. I watch the dogs fighting for a second before another _crack_ to my back gets my attention.

I spin around and see a ghostly version of myself. Briefly, she lifts up her helm to offer me a toothy smirk. If I wasn't so stunned I would've attacked her when she revealed her face to taunt me. Instead, I stand there like an idiot while the spirit swings her sword at my ribs. Barely, I manage to yank my sword up enough that our blades _crack_ against one another. A demonic growl rumbles from the spirit as she yanks her sword back and attempts to strike me with her pommel.

The pommel hitting me causes my chest to be sore where it hit, but it doesn't stun me like it would Leliana or Morrigan. I grab the spirit by the breastplate, yank her close to me, and _crack_ our helms together. She grabs onto me and I grab onto her. Together, we start stumbling and desperately running together towards a wall to steady us. We don't make it and we end up on the ground still holding each out. I grab my sword with one hand while she mimics my motion. What happens next is absolutely stupid in all regards. We begin rolling around like a wheel while trying to get on top _and_ keep hold of our weapons.

Our rolling ends when I flip over her and my shoulder _slams_ against a wall. Finally, I'm on top of my spirit. I yank my sword upwards and attempt to bring it down on her head. A _scratching_ noise and pressure on my blade stops me. I briefly glance up and curse. My sword is scrapping against a wall and it appears we've rolled ourselves into a corner. I lean back a little, slide my sword until the tip of it is facing downwards, and move my weight back to where it was originally. Suddenly, a _click reaches_ my ears and my breastplate is tossed to the side. Two rough, burning hands come up to my tits. It's not a fighting move, but having my nipples twisted is enough to cause me to instinctively jerk away. I hiss and drop my sword as I roll off the spirit.

Her grip on my tits doesn't waver as she rolls us around until she's solidly placed herself on top of me. Her hands move away from my breasts as the woman reaches for her own sword. I don't waste any time. I grab onto the spirit's shoulder, lift my upper body upwards, and use my other hand to knock her helm off. The spirit brings her sword around to stab me in the back _just_ as I reach her ear. The spirit drops her sword and begins rolling around with me again as I twist her ears. I roll the two of us back to my sword, stop us with me on top, and pick my blade up. I pick it up in such a way that it's already hanging down with the tip pointing at the other elf's exposed neck. I _rip_ her throat open just as something lodges itself in my back. My spirit disappears, but something else _thunks_ me in the back.

I try to roll onto my back to see who is attacking me, but the arrows lodged inside me brush the ground and I jerk up into a standing position. The spirit Duncan has been vanquished, but the spirit Morrigan and Leliana are still here. Currently, Duncan is knocked out near the fake Leliana's feet. The fake Leliana is currently placing one of her feet on the Mabari's skull like he's an animal she hunted and killed, and her bow is trained on me. I don't have any armor on my torso since my breastplate was removed, and my backplate fell off during the rolling. I cross my arms in front of my heart as she fires. Agony tears through my right arm as it stops the arrow.

I look for my friends. Morrigan is transformed into a bear and attempting to maul her spirit self. Leliana is standing atop Morrigan's spiky back and firing the occasional arrow at the fake Morrigan. The spirit is currently fending my friends off by swinging her staff and popping off the rare fireball in an attempt to hurt Morrigan enough to force her back into her human body. I open my mouth and prepare to scream for help. The spirit Leliana aiming her bow at my belly stops me. I move my arms lower. She jerks her hands up at the last second. Her arrow pierces one of my hands as I barely manage to get it up in time.

The weapon goes through the back of my right hand, exits the middle of my palm, and the tip of the arrow manages to break the flesh on my chest. I howl in agony and fall to my knees. I start trying to pry the arrow from my chest. Footsteps cause me to look up. My nose is _cracked_ to the side as my spirit lover kicks my face in. I'm forced onto my back and find myself in the exact same position my spirit was when I killed her. A boot comes to rest on my throat. I look upwards and see my fake Leliana aiming her arrow directly at my face. The only thing that saves me is an arrow hitting the spirit and causing her arm to jerk at the last second. The arrow _cracks_ into the stone beside my head and the fake Leliana vanishes.

The real Leliana grabs my hands and heaves me to my feet. Morrigan is already there and begins instantly tending to my wounds. Meanwhile, Leliana finds my sword and armor for me. Once I'm patched up, Leliana puts my breastplate and backplate on me. Finally, Duncan's wounds are tended to and everyone's ready to go. As we walk towards the next room, Leliana makes a remark.

"Was that suppose to be me? Did you see the cruelty in my eyes? Ugh! Terrifying!". I make a playful remark that earns me a slap on the ass.

"I don't know. I've seen that cruelty in your eyes before. I rather like it.". I laugh along with Leliana as we finally get to the third trial. A huge canyon separates us from the final room, and pressure plates are on either side of the huge hole. I stand near the edge of the canyon and begin giving commands.

"Duncan go to the third pressure plate on the left. Leliana, you go to the sixth one of the left. Morrigan go to the second plate on the right.". They all follow my commands. Two ghostly sections of bridge appear, then become solid when Morrigan steps on her plate. Carefully, I move to the end of the second section of the bridge. Finally, I give more commands.

"Duncan go to the fourth plate on the right. Morrigan go to the first plate on the left. Leliana stay where you are.". They all rush to follow my commands. The third section is now solid. I move onto it before telling everyone what to do again.

"Leliana go to the fifth plate on the right. Duncan go to the fifth plate on the left. Morrigan you just stay where you are.". Duncan and Leliana both move. The final section of the bridge appears. All of my companions break into a run to get off their plates and join me as I cross the final section of the bridge. Leliana says something adorable as all three of them make their way over to me.

"That was so much fun! Maybe for the next puzzle we'll have to hold hands and sing a song!". I smile a little as we go into the next room. An altar stands before us with a wall of flames blocking us from going by it. I go up to the altar and read the riddle on it. I don't quite understand it, but Leliana gives me a suggestion.

"Get naked.". I scoff and shake my head.

"Now's not really the time, is it? I mean, Morrigan's here and I'm sure she doesn't want to watch.". Morrigan quickly chimes in.

"I _definitely_ don't want to watch.". Duncan barks and I correct him.

"I don't care if you want to watch because you don't _get_ to watch. You don't even know what you'd be watching.". He barks in agreement that he doesn't even know what he wanted to watch, but Morrigan chimes in again.

"So, wait. I would have _gotten_ to watch if I _wanted_ to watch? Because you said he _wanted_ to and _couldn't_.". Leliana stops the conversation.

"I didn't mean to have sex!". We both turn to her, but I whisper to Morrigan.

"I'll never tell.". It's a joke, but Morrigan turns even paler. I ignore her as Leliana continues.

"The riddle. Get naked and walk through the fire.". She begins getting out of her armor while reaching out and taking off Duncan's collar and warpaint. I groan and tell Leliana.

"I worked hard to paint him like that!". She offers me a little, weak glare as she finishes getting naked. Duncan sits beside her in a likewise 'naked' state. My lover motions at Morrigan and I. The witch shakes her head.

"We're clearly not going to do some insane ritual. Right, Tabris?". She looks over and sees I'm sitting on my ass taking off my boots. Slowly, I peel them off while looking at her. The woman sighs and shakes her head as I speed up the process of getting naked. I toss my armor and clothes into a pile with Leliana's and Duncan's belongings. Morrigan is the only one not naked. I clap my hands together and try to convince her.

"We need to get through the fire. Besides, Leliana and I will be busy looking at each other.". To illustrate our point Leliana and I lock arms and half-hug each other. Morrigan groans, then begins getting naked. The witch crosses her arms across her chest and does her best to cross her thighs over herself. The woman starts shaking in the mountain's freezing air. Thankfully, Leliana and I are close enough together the chill doesn't bother us as we finish the trials.

Leliana and I remained linked as all of us cross the flames unharmed. Instantly, the wall is down. Morrigan is already dressed when the guardian arrives. The spirit doesn't look uncomfortable at our current attire. He even talks to us as Leliana, Duncan, and I finish getting dressed.

"Congratulations. You have passed the trials and may take a pinch of Andraste's ashes.". I nod at him before turning, bounding up the steps to the urn, and opening them. The ashes are fine enough to have almost no texture, and they still feel warm as I place them in a small pouch. I return to a pouting Morrigan and awestruck Leliana. I smile at both of them and tell them our next stop.

"Let's go kill a dragon!".


	51. Another Dragon

The _bong_ of the gong rings out across the mountain. The earth shudders. My dragon takes to the sky. Her wings spread far to obscure the sun, and her roar causes my heart to speed up while she descends upon us. Her claws crash into the ground on either side of me. I look up. The dragon cranes her neck around and positions her head to look down at me. Her lips curl in what could pass for a sneer. The beast seems to scoff and shakes her mighty head at me. My body becomes cold and I shudder. In this instant there's a clear communication between dragon and woman. She doesn't think I'm worth shit. I'll need to prove her wrong.

I stand tall and pull my sword from my back. A low, feral growl a little behind my right knee lets me know my Mabari is with me. My lover and friend both make sure to stay a safe distance away from the dragon and I, though, they promise they're going to be helping. The dragon lets her jaws fall open. A maw of teeth the length of my sword greet me. Her wild, spiked tongue flails about while her red, meaty throat opens. A terrible roar deafens me as spittle and slaver rain down upon me. The dragon rears onto her back legs, kicks out with her front, and _slams_ back down onto the ground in the exact same position she was. Her next roar can't get through my thick haze of confusion from the first roar. Finally, she stops screaming and the battle truly begins.

Morrigan begins raining down ice spells upon the dragon's front left leg. Leliana focuses her arrows on the dragon's back left leg. Duncan and I both charge underneath the creature's stomach, exit near its right side, and attack its right side together. I've never felt more alive in this moment. My heart is pounding my adrenaline-laced blood through my tingling body. My breath comes in sharp, hard gasps. My eyes snap to and fro with a speed I've never possessed before. My mind is buzzing and going blank with nothing besides a battle-plan filling my mind. The dragon lifts her wings high above her body, throws her head back, and screams her rage at the world. For a brief second, time seems to stop. It's as if the entire universe itself is looking down upon this gorgeous creature.

A universe so uncaring and cold like the one I'm in spares a thought for one of the most beautiful creatures in existence. Then, the universe goes back to normal and I keep ripping her scales away with my tremendous sword. Her thick, hot blood is beginning to pour out of her leg and soak Duncan and I. I know it's not fatal or even too painful for her. Flemeth taught me dragons are more durable than I could have ever imagine (which is saying something considering I thought dragons were living fortresses of muscle and bone _before_ messing around with Flemeth).

Suddenly, the dragon raises her front right leg and holds it for a few seconds. I manage to glance over my shoulder. The dragon has turned her head and is judging whether she's going to hit us or not. I should move with Duncan. I don't. Instead, I'm thrown to the ground with Duncan as the dragon swipes us. My shoulder aches, but I ignore it as I push myself up. Morrigan and Leliana haven't let up on their respective legs. Sadly, the dragon has ran away from Duncan and I. She leaps around in a circle until she's half of the arena away from us, then roars a challenge at Duncan and I. Thankfully, Morrigan and Leliana are a safe distance away. Duncan and I charge at the dragon. The mighty beast raises her wings high above her body, then _slams_ them back down until they hit the ground.

Duncan and I are already inside of the vortex the dragon has made with her wings. Leliana and Morrigan, however, have to stop attacking as they're pulled in. Morrigan grabs onto a rock by her foot and refuses to let go. Leliana turns towards the dragon and begins running. Duncan and I return to the dragon's right back leg and begin trying to tear it apart. Another slam of the wings. Leliana stumbles, but keeps running. Morrigan holds tight. A third. Morrigan holds tight. Leliana _barely_ gets inside the vortex. A fourth. Morrigan's grip breaks. Leliana desperately tries to catch her breath.

A fifth. Morrigan is throw about ten feet and groans in pain. Leliana has caught her breath. The dragon takes one step backwards and stops with her wings. Morrigan pushes herself up while Leliana runs a safe distance away from the dragon. Suddenly, a _crack_ comes from the leg Duncan and I were working on. A thick, rancid wave of scarlet blood washes over my Mabari and me. The dragon howls and leaps away from us using her wings to give herself a gigantic push to the side. Morrigan and Leliana run out of the way and position themselves farther away from the dragon on a different side of the arena. Duncan and I keep charging at the wounded dragon.

This time we begin working on her front leg on her right side. Morrigan and Leliana get on the same page as us and attack the same leg we're working on. The dragon growls deep enough to shake the ground. She lifts the leg we're working on. Duncan and I don't move for some reason. Instead, we tank the attack as we're knocked to the ground once again. Morrigan and Leliana don't give up as they keep attacking the beast's leg. The tremendous animal positions it so Duncan and I are in between her legs. My Mabari and I rise as she does her next attack. She pulls her head upwards and fire begins boiling over in her gigantic maw.

A roaring, burning fire engulfs me, Duncan, and Morrigan because she's still standing too close. Duncan and I withstand the flame, but Morrigan has to down a healing pollute in order not to get knocked out or killed. Eventually, the dragon stops her assault when it becomes clear none of us are being moved. Once again, she raises her front right leg where Duncan and I are. We don't move, and find ourselves on the floor. Leliana and Morrigan continue targeting the leg we were attacking while we heave ourselves off of the ground. The dragon flares her wings backwards and begins taking a few steps backwards to get away from us.

Duncan and I stay right on her as our companions never stop their onslaught of arrows and spells. Finally, the dragon jumps away in a circle again that gets her half of an arena away from us. Duncan and I charge while Leliana and Morrigan keep firing. The dragon surprises me by walking towards us as we approach her. Duncan and I attack her front left leg. Morrigan and Leliana switch targets to keep up with us. The dragon growls deep in her throat before knocking us down once again. Her claws have done some damage to Duncan and my defenses are about to be breached. Still, Duncan and I stand and begin attacking her leg once again. The dragon growls before raising her tail high into the sir to the side of her body.

The beast even cranes her neck around and spreads her legs to see where her tremendous weapon is. Thankfully, Duncan and I somehow manage to avoid her tail as we rush to her front left leg. Suddenly, the dragon rears before slamming her legs down and roaring loud enough to shake the mountain. Red runes surrounded Duncan and I, and I'm assuming they surround my allies. The dragon takes a few steps to the left to give herself more room to work. Duncan and I keep charging for her leg and never letting up in the slightest. She rears once again, but when she comes down there are four _booms_ that echo through the mountain range. I can already tell that the runes are exploded. Leliana and Morrigan briefly break off attacking and I assume they're taking healing pollutes and not knocked out.

Thankfully, my hunch is correct and the two eventually resume attacking the leg Duncan and I are going after. The dragon flares her wings and takes a few steps back while roaring. Her roar is significantly weaker. The dragon suddenly starts to move her wings; however, her front left leg _cracking_ and spewing blood stops her. The dragon flies across half of the arena with another hop and flap of her wings. Leliana and Morrigan are once again forced to move further away from the dragon. Meanwhile, Duncan and I go after her front right leg.

Leliana and Morrigan soon join us in our assault. The dragon's front right leg is already weakened. She doesn't break like I want, but the dragon lifts the leg and hops a little ways away from Duncan and I. My Mabari and I are already charging before she's done. The dragon lifts her wings again as we reach her. A powerful _slam_ downwards. Morrigan and Leliana both dig their heels into the ground, but they're ultimately pulled closer. Still, the two don't stop attacking. A second pull. Neither of their attacks get through. A third. Both of them begin running. A fourth. They get inside the vortex of air and manage to get a few attacks off. A fifth. The dragon closes her wings and walks backwards away from all of my party members. Leliana and Morrigan retreat to the opposite side of the battlefield.

Duncan and I resume attacking the front right leg. When Morrigan and Leliana are settled they pick up the attack again to. The dragon rears her head back and more fire starts bubbling from inside her snout. Fire washes over Duncan, myself, and (very briefly) Leliana. None of us have to stop to take a pollute or anything. The beast growls and spins around again while covering the distance of half of the arena. However, _just_ as she lands her front right leg _cracks_. A scream of pain as the mighty beast attempts to get away only to run out of arena.

Leliana begins firing off moves that drain her of all of her energy, Morrigan lays down a blizzard to hit all of the dragon's legs, Duncan starts tearing into the only uninjured leg with vigor (after charging over to it like a wild beast), and I find myself hitting the beast harder and quicker than I ever would have thought possible. It's like we can all taste and smell the blood we've brought forth from this mighty beast. My pulse continues to pound away in my ears as my entire body hums with a comfortable high of battle. The dragon attempts to lift her leg to swat us away, but she can't put all of her weight on her already-wounded three other legs. She tries to raise her tail. She can't seem to get it high enough or aim it right. Finally, the dragon begins trying to get away.

That's when the fourth _crack_ resounds across all of the mountain. The beast falls onto her side. Her belly is bombarded with icy spells and snowy arrows. Duncan begins tearing at the scales on the beast's throat. In the end, I'm the one to do the deed that must be done. I walk forward with my sword drawn and a fire in my eyes. The dragon doesn't fight or snarl when I come near. I stroke her once between the eyes. For a moment, we are not foes. We are both warriors. She's much older and stronger than me, but we're still warriors. I whisper to her.

" _Thank you_.". I plunge my sword into her skull and kill her.


	52. Andraste's Mabari

Morrigan heals and patches us all up as I'm going about stripping the dragon of her bones and scales. The great, mighty beast was a worthy foe and I intend of letting her live on in some way. However, as I'm cleaning her I feel wetness coming to my eyes and rolling down my cheeks. I wish we hadn't needed to kill her. Though, Leliana pointed out the Urn of Sacred Ashes is easier for average people to get to since they won't have to get by a dragon. She seemed okay with a small group of people passing below her, but a herd of pilgrims might have set her off. Or, a constant traffic of people could have done it.

Hell, even a small group like us once in a while might not have been allowed by her. We could have just been lucky enough to cross when she was too tired to attack. So, in a way the dragon needed to die. Her death was a beautiful sacrifice to insure everyone can see the Urn of Sacred Ashes and partake of its healing properties. Besides, now that cult we bumped into on the way up here won't have anyone to worship. I'm done stripping the dragon of some of her scales and bones. Slowly, I walk up to her head. Her eyes have fallen closed and her jaw is likewise in a closed position. Even if death she's dignified. I pat her horned snout once and whisper again to the beast.

" _Thank you_.". I adjust my bulging back on my bag and return to my group. Everyone is silent as we continue back down the mountain. Not a single enemy (if there are even any left) dare to show their faces around me. However, when we reach the bottom the mountain the brother we freed is waiting for us. He offers me a tremendous smile and waves. I wave back as we finally get within talking distance.

"So, what did you find?". I hold up the ashes and toss them to him. The man seems to gape and struggle to find any words. Finally, he passes it back to me and mumbles.

"I am not worthy.". I shrug and prepare to move past him, but he speaks more.

"We must tell everyone about the ashes! This can become a pilgrimage for the faithful to fulfill!". I shrug and just go along with it.

"Alright.". He claps his hands together before pulling out a journal and going to work. I brush by the man and begin the long journey back to Redcliffe. As we go, Morrign talks to me.

"Well, it appears the ashes _are_ real. So, what will you do once we return to Redcliffe and heal the Arl?". I shrug and she laughs.

"As good of an answer as any other.". Suddenly, Lelina gets into the conversation.

"So, what's your stance on religion? You called out to all of the gods you could think of when you killed that assassin, and now you've found the Urn of Sacred Ashes.". I really don't want to talk about religion, but Leliana is my lover and she deserves to hear my opinion.

"Still think she was a mage or something. The Guardian could have been a demon or something and the spirits not revealing their true forms. And, I called all of gods for the assassin because I wasn't sure what gods he believed in. If I die, then I'd only expect someone to d the same for me. Not because I believe in all of them, but because I want whichever one's listening to hear me coming.". Leliana sighs a little, but isn't an asshole about it.

"I understand. Kind of. I'll respect your lack of religion.". Morrigan interrupts instantly.

"You don't respect _my_ lack of religion!". Leliana laughs a little bit and I smile at her response.

" _You_ don't let me fuck you up the asshole.". Morrigan gags a little.

"You let her fuck you up the ass?!". I chuckle a little and don't bother responding. Thankfully, our conversation stops when we reach the horses at the base of Haven. Leliana looks over her shoulder as we ride away and shakes her head before looking forward again.

"I pray to the Maker that we never have to return here ever again.". I nod in agreement while leading our horses back through the path we took to get here. Occasionally, I'll put my hand in my pocket just to check and make sure that the ashes are still there and safe. It'd be a shame to get all the way back to Redcliffe just to realize that I've dropped them somewhere or misplaced them. We ride and I keep checking my ashes for about five hours. Then, the sun dips below the horizon and we set up camp. Two tents, a fire, and a put above the fire are set up.

Morrigan begins roasting a rabbit while Leliana and I find some logs to sit on. Finally, camp is set up and dinner is ready to eat. Morrigan only picks at her food a tiny bit before giving it to Duncan, then climbing into her tent. Duncan inhales his food before charging after Morrigan. The entire night has been spent in silence as we've eaten our bland, roasted rabbit and nothing changes when it's just Leliana and I. I finish my dinner before my lover and mumble a question.

"You mind cleaning up?". I head to bed when she shakes her head. I'm stripped and inside our shared sleeping roll when Leliana slides in behind me. Her naked tits press against my back and her hand comes around to rest on my stomach. Instantly, I'm awake and my skin's starting to tingle. I roll over. I can't see Leliana very well in the dark, but her bright eyes manage to stand out. Her eyes disappear and her lips press against mine as roughly as possible. Her hands go down to my ass. Her fingers spread me and the tips of two of her fingers start rubbing my asshole. My lover _pops_ away from me and lightly nibbles on one of my pointed ears. I turn my head to give her easier access and lightly moan.

"You know, I don't think I've ever _properly_ fucked you up the ass like we told Morrigan earlier.". She begins nibbling at my neck before sucking the flesh. I gasp and twine my fingers through her hair. When she's pulled back I can feel where a visible bruise will be tomorrow morning. Leliana kisses me gently between the eyes. I struggle to regain my breath from a mix of nervousness and arousal.

"That'll have to fixed quickly, or else we'll look like liars.". Leliana laughs before kissing me between the eyes again.

"You'd let me do that to you? Your truly have no qualms with me fucking you us the ass?". I shrug and begin trying to work one of my thighs between hers.

"I'd prefer you not hurt me. Otherwise, I trust you with my life.". Leliana rolls on top of me in an instant and begins attacking my neck again. I offer a small moan and question her.

"What is it about dominating me that gets you off so easily? I hardly even have to touch you.". One of her hands comes up, grabs my hands by the wrists, and places my hands about my head. Leliana _pops_ away from my neck.

"Consider it a blessing and don't question me. Also, don't move you hands you filthy little _rabbit_.". I nod at her, but my lover isn't done yet. She reaches behind her and pulls her breast bindings up to my face. Quickly, I'm blindfolded and gagged.

"You remember the tune to whistle if you want out?". I whistle the beginning of 'Andraste's Mabari' to demonstrate I remember what the safe tune is. Leliana hikes my legs up to wrap around her waist. Slowly, she shimmies down in the sleeping bag in order to reach my tits. My lover knees one tit roughly like she's baking bread, but she begins gently massaging my other tit agonizingly slow.

Her warm breath washes over both of my nipples, but it's the one being roughly kneed that gets her attention first. My love is all teeth when she descends on my tit. I gasp and curl my hips, but force myself to keep my hands above my head. Just the feel and smell of Leliana is enough to get me soaked, so with this treatment I've no doubt our sleeping sack will reek like me for weeks to come. Briefly, Leliana breaks away to snarl a threat.

"You're a filthy little whore. You're just lucky your cunt works so well, or else I'd trade you in for a human.". I groan through my gag and begin attempting to grind on Leliana. The human laughs before slapping my tits hard enough to cause me a sweet ache. Her hands leave my tits and she whispers to me as he breath washes over my stomach.

"Beg me to fuck your asshole.". I mumble into the gag and thrust my hips upwards. Leliana moves my legs so they're resting on her shoulders. She chuckles as she rubs her ears against my thighs.

"You make the best earmuffs. About the only damned thing you're good for. Can't cook worth shit, can't set up a camp worth shit, and can't lead worth shit. If it wasn't for Alistair, then we'd have been fucked long ago.". My pride bristles and I try to wiggle my hips away from Leliana out of spite. Briefly, she waits to see if I'll whisper the tune. When I don't I get her wrath in full. I'm flipped over, ripped from our sleeping sack, and have my ass raise in the air because of Leliana's thigh. _Cracks_ ring throughout the forest as Leliana screams at me.

"What the fuck was that?! You trying to get away from me?!". Her _cracks_ resound louder and I scream into my gag. My bony ass is already burning and throbbing. I once again try to get away out of spite without ending the game (which I _definitely_ don't want to do). I curl my toes and try to push off of Leliana's lap. She grabs me by my thighs and pulls me down onto her lap again. The _cracks_ keep coming.

"Where you going, bitch? Where you going, knife-ear?". I roll my hips backwards begging for more even as my gags are soaked in a mixture of tears and spit. Finally, Leliana flips me back over onto my burning ass and hikes my legs up onto her head. Her fingers brush against my throbbing, soaked sex and I buck at the contact. Laughter comes from Leliana as she gathers as much wetness as she possibly can.

"Look at you! You're a little elven whore! A human hardly touches you and you get soaking wet!". Her fingers dip lower. My lover doesn't give me any sort of warning as she shoves soaked fingers into my relaxed ass while lowering her head to my cunt. Leliana is all teeth, rough touches, and pain as she begins working me over. Her free hand even works its way up to my tit to give me a rough pinch. My hips buck and rock as I scream around the gag in my mouth. My screaming is a challenge that's answered by Leliana going harder than before. When I finally orgasm it's with my toes curled, hips rocking, and teeth sunk deep into the gag around my mouth. Leliana doesn't even bother taking the gag off of me as she crawls up to cuddle. I melt into her arms before trying to get some sleep.

* * *

 **Note: Next chapter will be released later than normal due to Thanksgiving celebrations. I don't care much for the holiday, but I enjoy spending time with my family.**


	53. The Beginning of the End

When I enter the castle I'm greeted by the Arl's family, Alistair, and Wynne all waiting for me. Wynne nods when she sees me to show that the Arl is still alive. That's a small mercy I suppose. Hopefully. I dig the ashes out from my pocket and dangle it from my fingertips. The Arl's wife breaks down into sobs while his brother bows deeply before me. I barely manage to restrain from rolling my eyes as I tell them what they're going to do.

"Take me to him.". The brother and wife grab my arms and begin tugging me along. The Arl is in a finely decorated room in a bed covered with enough silk to keep my family fed for years. Resentment boils in my guts as I practically smash the ashes into his mouth. The man gags and I keep shoving the warm ash into his gullet. Finally, his eyes slowly open. I _crack_ him across the face once. Just as a little revenge for being ridiculously rich. I step back and allow the family to crowd around him. The Arl is lifted to his feet and led out of the room. I snort as I watch the royal family go. I even snarl under my breath.

"You're fucking welcome.". Duncan nuzzles my hand and my human companions offer me their sympathies. I brush all of them off and follow the royal family to wherever they went. I find the man resting in his throne with his family surrounding him. As I approach, the man nods and motions at the ground. I assume he wants me to kneel. I don't. The Arl's face sours a tiny bit. He clears his throat to push past the awkwardness, then speaks to me.

"I am Arl Eamon. I understand I have you to thank with my life.". I straighten my back with a pride I know I deserve. I speak in a formal tone and put the Arl in his place.

"You owe me your life, your Orlesian wife's life, and your bastard son's life.". Isolde looks completely offended I've brought her heritage into this, but I don't mind. I hate Orlesian men and women more than I hate Ferelden men and women. Ferelden men and women at least know what it's like to chaff under the collar of those who think they're better than you. Orlesian men and women abuse not only my people, but the poor of their own kind. Besides, Ferelden has dogs. The Arl suddenly sighs and shakes his head.

"I understand that. Now, do you wish for me to call a Landsmeet? It's the only option we have right now to overthrow Loghain.". Alistair begins to speak. I throw him a glare to shut him up, then turn to the Arl.

"Yes.". He nods and shakily pushes himself to his feet.

"We have gathered all the forces we can. Loghain is sure to have himself and his forces already set up in the capital before us, and so we must race to Denerim, as quickly as we can. The lives of many thousands hang in the balance; we must not forsake them. You have gathered an army to replace the one lost at Ostagar, Grey Warden. Let us pray that it will be enough to usurp Loghain from his ill-gotten throne.".

* * *

Isolde finds me as we're riding.

"Surely you know that Orlais is more forgiving to elves than Ferelden, don't you?". I scoff and put her in her place.

"I'd watch my tongue. Fereldens don't say that 'Orlais' is better at Ferelden than anything.". She shies her horse away from mine a little, but is too persistent to quit.

"Empress Celene Valmont has changed things among the elves who live in the cities of Orlais.". The mention of city elves catches my attention. I try not to look too interested as I question her.

"How are the elves in the cities of Orlais treated better?". She seems encouraged and begins stating her case.

"Shartan's mural is kept in the chantry in Val Royeaux! His ears are docked, but it's still in the capital of Orlais! When's the last time the most famous elven hero has been seen by your eyes in Ferelden?". I hesitate. I only know of Shartan because of my mother being obsessed with elven history. I nod and give her that point; though, I remind her of something.

"His ears are docked. And, I've heard rumors that Orlesion nobility believes elves to be animals due to our ears, and the fact hardly any of us are educated due to poverty.". She nods and relents on that point. However, she still doesn't give up.

"There are those who would like to call you an animal, but they do not truly believe it. They're just racist against you and wish to hurt elves.". I roll my eyes.

"Well, that doesn't help much.". Isolde sighs.

"Alright, it doesn't. However, you can at least learn culturally! Empress Celene is even pushing for elves to be accepted into schools and colleges!". I hesitate even more. During the Orlesion occupation elves were considered personal property and sold among the nobility. Could it have really changed that much?

"What about slavery?". Isolde shakes her head.

"Slavery is no longer a concern. Many elves are kept as servants, however. Although, a servant is usually well protected. If you worked for the Empress, then you would wear a mask signifying yourself as her servant while you were in the city. None would dare harm you. And, all elves can carry a blade as long as their palm.". Orlais is sounding better and better. Ferelden doesn't allow elves to carry weapons.

Any who are found carrying them will be killed with them. And, being a servant to a Ferelden lord means absolutely nothing. Servants can be killed and their masters won't blink an eye unless it's considered an insult to their authority. If I wasn't a Grey Warden and I was still stuck in the slums of Denerim, then I could see how it would be tempting to simply flee north. Although, I can also see how it's tempting to either leave to go find the Dalish because they're free elves, or join the Qun because they treat everyone equal across the board. I shake my head a little bit to clear it.

"None of this matters. What do you want me to do? Head to Orlais?". Isolde shrugs.

"I just wanted you to think about Orlais a little more. And, not to judge it too harshly. I'm a Ferelden and my loyalty lies here, but Orlais is no longer the beast everyone makes it out to be. Do we have problems? Yes. Does Ferelden? Yes. All that matters is that both sides are doing their best to fix them.". She falls silent and yanks her animal back. I do my best to remain silent for the rest of the ride. Elves have always been treated like shit. I carried a blade at my hip every single day in Denerim, but I could have technically been killed for it if any of the guards wanted to kill me.

They just knew trying to take me down would cause too big of a fuss, and that I didn't actually have the guts to hurt anyone with my weapon. In Orlais I could have actually carried a dagger. And, (more importantly) the poor elves I lived with could have carried a dagger. My father and cousins aren't skilled warriors, but having all of them carrying blades would make everyone feel safer. Just knowing that any human in the city could currently kill them always upset me. A dagger won't exactly save you from a group of thugs, but it's better than nothing. I bite my lip and continue chewing over this new important the entire ride to Denerim.

* * *

My entire group spreads out and begins claiming their spots when we reach the tremendous, royalty-decorated palace in Denerim. I see Leliana duck into a nearby room and go to follow her. A hand resting on my shoulder stops me. Eamon drags me over to the center of the palace's hall. I look around at portraits of humans and the rich, colorful furniture that decorates the room. Eamon elbows me and I snap my eyes towards the door. Loghain Mac Tir and some dark-haired human come into the room.

My blood boils and I grit my teeth at the sight of them. My vision begins to narrow and a ringing fills my ears. I bite deep enough into my tongue to draw blood. Slowly, I come out of my battle rage. Loghain is standing before me now and the woman is sizing me up. Loghain sneers at Eamon and completely ignores me as he addresses his fellow human.

"You and I both know this is a farce, Eamon. This Landsmeet is little more than a political power grab you've orchestrated in order to better your own position. I am the finest general in all of Ferelden and the queen regent!". I can't help myself.

"Considering Ostagar, I believe we need a better general.". Loghain's stern face snaps to me in an instant. I hold firm. On instinct, he blinks. Loghain snarls at me when he realizes his mistake.

"Nobody asked _you_!". I snarl and sneer right back at him. Finally, the man turns back to his fellow. Eamon takes his opportunity to speak.

"Surrender now and we can call off the Landsmeet.". I straighten my spine and add to the threat.

"We will not bow to you.". The woman scoffs and snarls at me.

"Don't speak when your betters are talking, child.". My first instinct is to threaten her. My second is to make her uncomfortable. I go with the second instinct and hope Leliana isn't watching. Loghain watches me carefully and the woman tenses as I slide over to her. I rest a single hand atop her right shoulder, place the other hand on her thick breastplate, and smile as I hover my face only an inch or two away from hers.

" _You_ I wouldn't mind bowing to. Or taking orders from. Say a single word and I'll do both.". I cackle as the woman roughly shoves me away and Loghain gags. The older man shakes his head at Eamon.

"I will _not_ surrender and you will _not_ win.". The two storm out, and I notice the woman makes sure to walk a little quicker than what is considered completely necessary. I turn to see Eamon shaking his head and already turned towards me.

"He won't see sense. It looks like we'll have to do this the hard way.". He sighs again. Eamon doesn't do anything else as he turns and motions for me to follow him. I don't like being told what to do, but I go ahead and just go with it. The elf waiting for me in the sparsely decorated serving quarters is finely dressed. Obviously, a servant of some sort. No other elf in this city (besides me) would be dressed that nice without bowing to someone in a position of power. The woman bows a tiny bit to Eamon and I when we enter. I hold in my sharp remark and sneer. I hold my tongue as Eamon motions towards the woman and explains.

"The Queen's handmaid. She claimed to have some important information that we would need to know about.". He steps back a tiny bit to give the elf the focus. She swallows a lump in her throat before talking to me.

"The Queen has been taken prisoner by her father! She's in terrible danger and sent for the Grey Wardens to rescue her! I'm-". I cut her off.

"I don't care about names. Let me get my team, then lead the way.". She beams as she speeds away.


	54. Author's Note

Note: I'd like to deeply apologize because I'm certain everyone who's read this knows what's going to happen. Denerim's Shadow is going to be very briefly put on hiatus for a week or two. This is due to many facts. However, there is one main reason.

Due to foreseen circumstances I'll be returning to published writing. My last book was published 20+ years ago. Obviously, this is going to be a change for me and take some time. Thus, Denerim's Shadow will be put on hiatus. There are many reasons I chose Denerim's Shadow to put off instead of one of my other two stories.

'Luck Be a Lady' is almost done. It'll be done within the next 10 chapters while Denerim's Shadow has 20-25 chapters left in it. It's just easier this way. Disgusting (Rewritten) is going to be over within the next 11 chapters while (again) Denerim's Shadow has 20-25 to go. So, here's the current look of things.

1\. 'Luck Be a Lady' gets my full attention and is finished within a week or two.

2\. 'Disgusting (Rewritten)' gets my full attention and gets finished in a week or a week and a half.

3\. 'Denerim's Shadow' gets my full attention and gets finished either before the new year begins, or within January of 2017.

4\. I open one of my Skyrim stories currently in the holding list.

However, there is an upside to all of this. I'll be writing 'Denerim's Shadow' throughout 1-3, so Denerim's Shadow will most likely be done before the end of the year and just slowly get released throughout January.

Anyway, I'm sorry but thank you all for your patience. Denerim's Shadow has always been a beast, and it's just now that I'm starting to finally see the end of it drawing near. I'm truly sorry I have to cut it off once again, but money is needed and publishing another short novel is the only way I can see of making it besides doing manual labor or selling my mediocre body.

As a tinier note: If anyone's interested in tossing new ideas around for my current story that I'm in the works of making or helping me in any way through the creative process, then feel free to message me. I don't have to go through an actual publisher this time (since I'll most likely use an internet source that wasn't around 20 years ago to publish my work), so I'll be able to stay a little truer to my tune.


	55. Salient Elves

Note: An update? I know, shocking. Sadly, life got in the way and it took me a while to get back to this. For that I'm sorry, but rest assured that "Denerim's Shadow" will now be updated once each weekend. Now, a note on this chapter. I originally had four chapters written about Tabris coming to terms with her conflicting salient identities as an elven crusader and good person to all races. Clearly, that was boring. So, her acceptance of herself got smashed into the middle of this chapter. I like to think I pulled it off somewhat well, but that's for you to decide. That's all.

* * *

"I think our team's too small. I miss that qunari guy, and I never even got to meet that dwarf Alistair offended.". Duncan barks in agreement, but Leliana and Wynne both sigh as I make my way around the marketplace. Wynne is the first to point out my flaws.

"You aren't exactly the friendliest of folks. I'm sure you'd come to hate them the second they started talking.". I cackle in amusement and, playfully, shove Wynne. The old woman and I have been talking almost nonstop the entire trip around the marketplace since Leliana has been fussing over a pair of shoes she bought and Duncan isn't exactly the best conversationalist. We've both grown to know quite a bit about each other, but the most important thing I've learned is that Wynne once had an elven apprentice she got killed.

Well, she _thinks_ she got him killed. I doubt it, and I'm certain enough I've already made a mental note to stop by the Dalish again sometime since I know every elf who escapes the Circle or cities wants to join them. However, right now I have something in mind since I'm in the marketplace. I have dragon and drake scales and I know an armorer who could probably make something out of them. Thankfully, I already know where his store is and I've successfully made my way around the market to it. Leliana finishes messing with her shoes as we all go inside the shop.

"I thought you were taking us to that maid that needed to get the queen out or something.". I shrug. It couldn't possibly be anymore important than what I'm doing right now.

"Who cares? We'll go as soon as I give the armorer these scales. Besides, the queen's not going to die anytime soon. Hopefully.". Or not hopefully. Honestly, I don't care about the queen too much. What I really care about is the man standing behind the counter. I reach into my bag, pull out all the scales I have, and place them before him.

"I have some drake and dragon scales here. Can you make anything with them?". A shriek causes everyone to jerk as a mustached man charges into the room from deeper in the building. He scoops up all of the scales while thanking me. However, he asks me an odd question.

"What kind of armor do you want?". I dig around in my pocket, hand the armorer twenty golden coins, and tell him.

"The finest, heaviest armor you can possibly make.". The armorer rushes off while his partner just shakes his head and motions for me to leave. Odd, but understandable. I lead everyone outside and make sure we're ready to go.

"Anyone want to hang around for any reason in particular?". Everyone mumbles besides Duncan who doesn't respond at all.

"Alright, let's go find and save the queen. Hopefully, that'll mean something and she'll make it worth our while.". Nobody responds as I begin leading us to where the maid told us to go to save the trapped queen is. I know these backwoods streets better than the back of my hand since elves weren't allowed to use the normal paths like humans. Once again, a sting in the back of my head bothers me.

 _I should still be killing shem. Not fucking one and palling around with the others._

I've spent most of my time with Leliana desperately trying to get used to the fact I might not be the elf I was raised to be. Each time I think I'm accepting the fact I'm not the woman I thought/wanted to be something will happen that makes me _want_ to be that woman again. Right now it's the realization I'm once again in Denerim with four shem and a dog as my only allies.

A tightness in my chest forms and I wish with all my heart I hadn't killed that elf, sent that qunari away, or let Alistair scare the dwarf away. Now I'm the only damned minority in a group full of my oppressors. The tightness in my chest hardens enough I actually begin digging underneath my armor in an attempt to massage it out. It doesn't work and my breathing begins to pick up. A burning desire deep in my gut reforms to be the woman I once was. Obviously, with some exceptions. I'm not going to harm Leliana, Wynne, or Morrigan. That's because I love her, I need her, and she needs me respectively.

The tightness doesn't go away.

Being on the road for so long has been nicer than I ever could have thought. It's let me get away from humans who would chain me. A shem isn't likely to insult and ridicule me if they need me, and the ones that want to oppress me at least won't say it aloud for fear of revenge sworn on them by a Grey Warden. I've gotten to learn about the humans I'm traveling with and make new friends.

 _I've gotten to forget what it's like to be an elf. I've forgotten what it's like to live in the slums of Denerim and have every human here look at me like I'm shit._

Even now humans we walk by are glaring at me for the sheer _gal_ of me to walk in the same city they inhabit. The tightness doesn't go away, but I pull my hand from my armor. I've talked to Leliana about this so, so many times. About my yearning to be the elf I left Denerim as. To go back to being the terrifying monster my family saw me as. My vision begins to blur as I come to terms with how far I've strayed from what I once was. I want to get back to my roots. I want to become an elf again. Slowly, the tightness begins leaving my chest as I make a promise to myself.

I can't be the woman I once was, but I'll try. I'll go back to putting elves before humans and standing up for those who're oppressed in the cities and wilds of the world the humans claim is theirs. Hell, if I can I'll find it in myself to kill as many humans that want to chain elves as I can. I just can't be a raging, murderous monster like I once was. The woman would get put down like a rabid dog in the world outside of my alienage. Still, I can be clever about it just like the shem are. I can use subtle tactics to fuck the humans over while putting the elves above them. It's not how I want to bring about change, but it'll have to do. I'm a damned hypocrite, though.

Fucking Leliana and palling around with Morrigan and Wynne aren't things a woman like me should do. However, I'm still going to do them. All kings and queens have lovers or secrets they're keeping from the public eye. I'll become like the champion of elves like Shartan was so long ago. Besides, I'm sure elves like Shartan were hiding things from their fellows elves.

The tightness in my chest is completely gone.

Coming back to this city has done something good to me. It's reminded me who the fuck I am. I'm not a damned human, I'm an elf. Nothing will change that. Not status, not blood, not marriage. Even now the shem are still glaring as I lead my team by them. Humans in the filthiest, most crime-ridden slums still put themselves above me. So, why can't I put myself above them? I hold my head a little higher as I walk. I can't share this with anyone, but I'm still proud of myself for who I am. And, who I am is ultimately an elf.

 _I'll remember it this time. I can't forget. I can't let shem take away who I am._

A shem touches my shoulder as we near the castle I was told to come to. I turn in a fright and see the face of the shem I love. The face of the shem who I love holding me down and fucking into me without any thought of me as anything other than a warm hole to pound. I smile at Leliana as my love speaks.

"Are you ready to save the queen, or do you want more time to prepare?". I nod. I'm ready to go save the shem queen because some other shem wants her saved so we can overthrow some other shem and put a shem we want on the shem throne. My gut rolls, but there's nothing I can do. The shem still rule this land, and if I want their help I have to play by their rules. The endgame will just have to be looking out for elves. I turn and begin searching for the maid. I find her and begin walking towards her. As I walk, I try to rationalize my new self.

 _I'm not doing anything wrong or cruel. I'm just watching out for my race and taking out years of oppression on those who'd see us still wearing chains. It's like the elven version of what the humans do by keeping elves in the alienages._

My consciousness is satisfied with the merging of the kinder woman I've become underneath Leliana and the crueler woman I once was when I walked Denerim alone not two years ago. I think over it and realize I'm happy with myself. It's taken a return to my roots to satisfy the growth of myself both emotionally and mentally, but now it's done. And, now I have a world to save. Like it or not, I'm still a Grey Warden. Granted, the "Grey Warden" part of me comes _after_ the "elf" part of me. Still, I have a duty.

When that duty's been fulfilled, then I can decide if I want to keep the face of a Grey Warden. Those thoughts, however, are for another time. Right now I need to save the queen. The elven handmaid waves me down when she finally spots me and we meet up behind a wagon. The elf whispers quickly and glances over her shoulder as she explains what we're going to do.

"We need to go around back to the servant's entrance. I'll tell you what to do after that.". I nod and follow the elf as she turns tail and scampers around the side of the castle. I follow closely after her without a moment's hesitation. We're halfway down the side of the castle when the alarm's sounded from above.

"Hey, someone's down there! Go check it out!". The handmaid " _eeps_ " and scurries behind me and my team as we turn back towards the mouth of the alley we're in to face the guards. Four men in heavy armor with iron weapons come charging down the length of the alley to meet us. The sods don't even stand a chance against my team.

My team is perfection in mortal form. We are gods in mortal vessels. We are the cultivation of warriors bred and trained to fight without a single, fatal flaw. Wynne heals wounds before they even open, Duncan mauls with the strength his ancestors needed to survived, and Leliana rains death from above with precision that would make a surgeon envious. I am the final piece of the puzzle. I'm a warrior who fears no death and glories in the rage of battle. When we finally stop the four men are mere red streaks across the grass. I turn to the handmaid with blood soaking my face.

"Let's go save the queen.".


	56. Rescue the Queen

The handmaid leads us through a garden fit for royalty that would feed my people for years. A throb of anger stokes my heart, but I keep it in check. Getting angry won't fix anything. And, Leliana says something that distracts me.

"I've been here before on a job. I know the inside if you need my help finding your way around.". I quickly set my lover straight.

"This is the castle I murdered all those humans in.". A pause.

"Oh.". I chuckle a little as the maid stops us near the back entrance.

"You know, I never got your name.". Or, more likely, I forgot it.

"Erlina.". I nod as Erlina continues.

"I'll distract the guards. Hide in the bushes and sneak inside when they're gone. I'll meet you inside.". I nod and duck down in some bushes beside a back fence. Leliana, Wynne, and Duncan all crouch down beside me. Within a minute, Erlina and the guards come stomping by and that's our cue. All of us silently rush into the palace and wait inside a lavish room for Erlina to arrive. My fellow elf quickly comes back in with three bundles in her arms. She hands them off to me as she explains.

"Disguises. You should be able just to walk through the palace without anyone noticing three more guards and a guard dog. The servants won't dare stop you, and there are so many new guards coming in daily the real guards will just think that they haven't seen you before. The only threat is if Loghain himself sees you, and he's not here.". I nod as I hand disguises to Wynne and Leliana. The two slip into their disguises and soon enough we're all guards of the palace. I pat Erlina on the shoulder and give her some advice.

"Stay back a bit. Some of these men might recognize me.". I smile a little.

"That is, if they were cowards and hid while I was tearing this place apart less than a year ago.". Erlina squeaks as I push past her into the dining hall. I make note of the area where I once killed three guards, then continue through the busy palace. Nobody pays us any mind as I lead us through the same path I once took to try to save my cousin. I find myself touching my necklace as I go. Each room I remember where I killed someone.

 _I can't be that woman again, no matter how much I want to be. I need to control myself. Put elves first, but don't risk my own life to harm humans. Do no harm, but take no shit._

My inner monologue is interrupted when I finally lead us into the room where Shianni was raped.

 _Maybe I can be that woman again._

I shake my head free of such thoughts. I've come so far and made so much progress. I love Leliana and am friends with Morrigan and Wynne.

 _Maybe that was a test from the Maker to see if you'd forget your roots. Maybe you failed._

No, I didn't. My love for Leliana isn't a failure.

 _Maybe I can love Leliana and hate humans. _

I shake my head again. I won't fail. Not here, not now. I'm about to open the door down into what I'm assuming is the dungeons when Erlina interrupts me.

"You went too far!". I flip back around and see the elven maid shaking her hands in the air.

"You passed the queen!". I feel my face flushing red and splutter.

"I didn't!". Elrina nods.

"You walked right past her room! I don't even know how you knew the layout of this place!". I grumble and look at the floor. I prepare to walk by the maid, but she interrupts me once again.

"Actually, there's a problem. It's probably actually _good_ you came down this far since you'll need to go down into the dungeons.". I groan a little at the frustration of there being a problem, but allow the maid to continue. My first priority is still getting the queen out of here after all.

"Alright, what's the problem and how do I fix it?".

"There's a spell that's locked the queen in her room. Most likely, Arl Howe is casting it. Anora said she heard a guard saying Arl Howe was in the dungeons. So, just go down there and kill him to free Anora.". I nod before giving my fellow elf some advice.

"Go back to the queen's room and get her ready to leave. I'll kill Howe, then my team and I will come back. Be ready to leave, I think it'd be best if we got out as soon as possible after the Arl is dead.". Erlina nods, turns, and quickly leaves the room without another word to me. I open the door leading to the dungeons and lead my team down. We've hardly entered a long, dark hallway full of cells when we're confronted by a guard. The man turns with a sneer on his face when we enter.

"Who're-". He's interrupted by two hands coming out from the cell behind him and grabbing his neck. My team and I silently watch as the man's strangled to death and drug into the cell. Soon enough, a man dressed in the dead guard's uniform comes out. With a bow, he begins to speak.

"My thanks for the distraction. I'm Grey Warden Riordan from Orlais.". I don't bow since he's a human and doesn't deserve my respect, but I still acknowledge him as a warden. The last thing I want to do is turn down help after Alsitair's failings.

"I'm Grey Warden Kallian Tabris of Ferelden. I'd suggest you leave and find Arl Eamon. You and I can discuss warden matters with Grey Warden Alistair of Ferelden at a later time.". Riordan bows once again.

"A smart move. Wasting time in this dungeon helps neither of us.". The man begins to reach for me as we pass one another, but a glare makes him stop short. Morrigan, Leliana, and Wynne are the only humans I'll let touch me. Every other human can forget about it. I turn my attention away from Riordan and push deeper into the dungeons. A small walk down a slanted hallway leads me to a door. I open the door to see a man in leather armor glaring at me. His rough voice rings out and I already feel an urge to kill this human boiling in my guts.

"Who're you?". I begin trying to make an excuse.

"I'm-It's me, don't you-the handmaid for the Arl-oh fuck it.". My sword cuts his head off as multiple other guards swarm the square, stone room my team and I are in. We slaughter them like lambs. I charge into the fray and chop through leather, fur, metal, and anything else these guards have put on to try to defend themselves from me.

Then, I charge down the hallway and into the maze of the dungeons. I run down a hallway and three doors at a corner open. Guards and mabari come streaming out to try to defeat me. Duncan is already at my side and me and my mabari show these fools how to fight. I chop off heads and arms while Duncan tears the throats out of the other dogs. Duncan's wearing his spiked collar and harness, so the other hounds can't even come close to hurting him. In the end, Duncan and I are finishing off the last guard when Wynne and Leliana finally catch up to us.

"Try to stay with us!". I charge down the hallway we haven't been down and two doors on my left open and another on my right opens. Thankfully, the ones from the right appear to be guards not on duty because they have neither arms nor armor. Another slaughter. Cloth tears along with flesh to reveal the red and white innards of the guards I kill. Their guts and blood cause the floor around me to become slick and sticky as I go about slaughtering every single one of them like they're calves waiting for the butcher.

I'm not quite sure if my team helps me significantly, but when it's over the battling in the dungeons seems to stop. One more long hallway and another corner leading me left. We pass about five doors and I can hear movement on the other side of each door, but I don't open a single one. The last thing I want is for any undo fighting to occur and possibly injure my side. I open the only door in this new hallway and enter. I'm assuming the grey-haired man in leather armor in front of me is Arl Howe and the mage and three warriors surrounding him are his personal security. I'm quickly proven right when the man raises a single, accusing finger at me.

"Kill them! Let none escape!". The Arl disappears in a _puff_ of smoke and his security fall upon us. I shove my way past the heavily armed and armored warriors and attack the mage preparing to shoot a fireball at me. My first swing cuts his stomach open wide enough his intestines fall upon the ground like a thousand worms, and my second swing severs his head from his neck and sends it rolling across the ground. Warm blood splatters both me and my blade, then causes my boots to _squeak_ as I turn back to my friends.

Leliana and Wynne have killed one warrior while Duncan is standing over the bodies of two. Before I can thank them, the Arl returns. He was attempting to appear behind Leliana and stab her in the back, but Wynne is behind him and the elderly woman sees her chance. A single _crack_ across his unprotected head with her staff is all it takes. The man falls to the side and that's all we needed. I search the bodies, take their finest stuff, and tell my team what we're going to do.

"Let's get out of this shitty place and go find the queen.". Everyone mumbles their agreement and I lead us away. A right turn and a small walk down the rest of the hallway leads me to an iron door. A key from the Arl's body opens that door and I'm able to quickly lead my team out of the dungeons, back into the castle, and down to where I see Erlina standing at the end of the hall. I stop outside the queen's room and speak.

"Anora, are you ready?". A beautiful woman with soft hazel eyes and the whitest of hair steps out to greet me in a guard's uniform.

 _Damn, I have to stop being soft on female humans._

"Aren't you a little short to be a guard?". The woman smiles down at me.

"I fit the part much better than you.". I smile a little back at her wit.

"Alright, fair enough. Now, come on. We need to get you back to Arl Eamon as quick as we can.". Anora nods her consent and I begin leading us back through the estate. However, I only get a few feet before a problem occurs. Every guard-since I haven't killed any of them-along with Loghain's main bitch are waiting for me outside the door leading out of the estate. The dark, hawkish woman walks close enough to me I'd have pushed her away if she was a man. I have to look up at her and I can feel her breath wash over me as she speaks.

"Well, what have we here?". A sick smile crosses her sharp features.

"A little lost mabari bitch trying to take something that's not hers.". No less than twenty arrows are trained at my heart. I look up into the woman's dark, deep eyes and see nothing short of pure hatred.

"I'd suggest taking your armor off, putting down your weapon, and kneeling before me. Anything less and I'll gut you and all your friends.". I feel my spine turn to jelly. I'd never bow before a human man trying to give me commands, but this woman makes me want nothing more than to grovel at her feet.

 _Leliana's had too much of an effect on me._

I also don't want Wynne, Leliana, and Duncan to get hurt for my sake. Besides, I'm sure Erlina and Anora can escape while I'm being taken away. Before I know it, I'm naked and kneeling before the woman's feet.


	57. Captured!

Cauthrien _slams_ the door to my cell shut with her still inside it and my hands still bound behind my back. I don't bother trying to struggle or get away; instead, I try to get familiar with my new surroundings. The bare, tiny cell is freezing and lit by a torch with the prisoner beside me clearly visible. An arrow _cracks_ the man in the chest and sends him reeling to the ground dead. My chest tightens and I squeeze my eyes shut. If Ser Cauthrien is willing to kill a useless prisoner so easily, then I can't even begin to imagine what she has in store for me. No arrow pierces my heart or sword severs my head. Instead, I feel two freezing, rough armored hands come to rest on my hips. I gasp as the woman's fingers dig deep enough to bruise my flesh and my ass is pulled flushed against even more chilled metal.

"It's too bad I don't have more time. Teaching elven bitches like you a lesson is my specialty.". She jostles her hips a bit against mine and I hiss at the sensation.

"Unless you'd like me to stay. Then, I suppose I'd be forced to remain for your well-being. Loghain would kill me if he found out his prison went insane awaiting her sentence in solitude.". I'd be a downright liar if I claimed the offer didn't at least tempt me. Cauthrien is a powerful, attractive woman who could toss me around like a doll before forcing me to the ground and pounding me through the floor. I love Leliana, though. Cauthrien might be attractive, but she doesn't hold my heart. If Leliana was here and part of it I might consider asking my love to let me be dominated by both of them; however, Leliana isn't here, so that idea's off the table.

"I think you'd best get back to your paperwork, Ser.". A snort from Cauthrien.

"Fine, die a virgin, I don't give a shit. Just don't start begging me on the chopping block to take you.". Her freezing metal disappears and I feel the ropes binding my wrists undone. I flip around prepared to fight, but Cauthrien is already on the other side of the bars. The woman casts her eyes over my naked form once, then taps the bars and speaks her appreciation.

"A pity you didn't go for it. You aren't too bad on the eyes when you're out of all that armor.". I ignore the woman as she walks away. I sigh and look around the room. Nobody to talk to and nothing to do. I sigh as I sit down. I trust my friends, but I'm not sure if I want to wait for rescue or get myself out of this place. Fucking Cauthrien might have been a good way to get out of here, but I obviously can't do that. So, I'm stuck either waiting for a guard to come by that I can trick into letting me out, or I just sit here and wait for my friends. Ultimately, I sit down and decide to wait it out. I have a few friends, but I'm sure Leliana and Morrigan will come and get me. They have to.

* * *

 **Leliana POV:**

I once again find myself in Chantry robes, but this time it's not meant for prayer or contemplation. Now I'm wearing these holy robes in an attempt to free my love from her capture. Morrigan, shockingly, insisted upon coming with me. Duncan and Wynne also wanted to come, but in the end it was my position as Tabris' lover and Morrigan's unofficial position as "best friend" that got us to be the ones to go.

When I suggested going as Sisters I'd expected Morrigan to argue and Duncan to finally be able to go with me. Sadly, that didn't work out. Now I just need to make the best of the situation and focus on getting Tabris out of prison. Still, my stomach tightens a little as we approach the first door protected by two guards. I motion slightly with my hands for Morrigan to take the lead. The woman steps forward and does what she does best.

"We're here for the dead and dying to give them their final rites.". Both guards grow grim as they nod and step aside. I would've taken a different route, but claiming you're here for the dying isn't a bad strategy. However, just as we're about to walk through the door one of the guards speaks.

"I'll need to get the captain to check you in. Please, wait here.". It becomes apparent that the guards were moving aside so one of them could go through the door rather than Morrigan and I being allowed to go through. I spare a glance at Morrigan as we await the guards. My friend looks completely relaxed and undisturbed. I try to remain calm as the captain of the guard appears in his shining armor that completely encases him.

"Well, what is it that I needed to be pulled away from my business?". Once again, Morrigan takes the lead in this situation.

"We were sent by the Chantry to give the dying and dead soldiers and prisoners their final rites. We were told you already had a few, but we decided with the influx in the fighting it'd be best to send two more to lend some helping hands.". The captain nods and his voice shares the grim atmosphere of this place when he next speaks.

"You're right about that. We've more dead than we can handle at the moment. The priestesses are trying their best to keep up with the sheer numbers of them, but I fear they've reached their limit. Two more pairs of holy hands are always welcome. Thank you for your work, sisters.". I mumble my thanks along with Morrigan as we both follow the captain deeper into the fortress. The large, open room we're in has two wooden platforms and twenty or so soldiers standing around and talking in between the two platforms. Morrigan moves to walk down the length of the long room, but I tap her hand and stop her. Then, when she looks at me I point to a ballistae on one of the wooden platforms. Morrigan nods and whispers to me.

"Fire it. I'll wait by the door.". I nod and follow her lead, then break off when I near the platform. Nobody bothers trying to stop me as I scale the platform and fire the ballistae. The gigantic crossbow fires and causes the other wooden platform to _crash_ to the ground. Instantly, the soldiers are pushing and fighting to get away from the wreckage first. Then, they dissolve into random fighting as both pride and feet are trampled on. I quickly walk down from the platform and join Morrigan by the door we need to next enter. The woman who was guarding the door left when the fighting began, so now all Morrigan and I have to do is enter the room without incident.

We're led into a small room with stairs going upwards and a small table in a corner. Already, three guards have come to greet us. I pull my bow from beneath my robes while Morrigan transforms into a bear. My companion mauls a man to death while my arrows bring down two. My boots _squeak_ in the tremendous puddle of blood as I walk around the corpses. Morrigan, meanwhile, takes her face out from the man's chest. Her face is coated with blood, fat and gristle, but I don't say anything about that. Angering the gigantic bear helping me through this dungeon might not be the best strategy in staying alive and successfully rescuing my lover.

I lead Morrigan into another hallway which leads both right and left of where we're standing with doors lining the walls on either side. I decide to go right and continue straight down towards the end of the hall. I can hear movement and voices through each of the doors, but I ignore whoever's inside and decide to keep going to wherever I'm guessing the dungeons are. Thankfully, I'm right. When I walk into the next room I see stairs leading downwards with only a single guard and two Mabaris standing guard.

An arrow takes down the man as Morrigan charges down the steps. Both hounds begin attacking her by running around her and nipping, so I begin firing upon one of them. When the two finally lie dead Morrigan and I are both uninjured. I walk down the steps, avoid the growing pool of blood coming from the mangled bodies, and enter the dungeons. The only path I can take leads me right, then forward. I see two cells down at the end of my path. Both have hunched bodies in them, but only one of them is slightly moving.

"Tabris!". The living body jerks upwards and I see the form of my lover cast in the torchlight. Before I know it I'm running to her, and Morrigan is right behind me in her human form. It takes me less than a minute to pick the lock to Tabris' cell, and even less than that to wrap her in my arms. I lavish in her warm, strong embrace for as long as I dare. Then, I pull back and look at my naked love.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?". She shakes her head, but has a mischievous grin spread across her face. I quickly find out why.

"No, but Ser Cauthrien propositioned me.". I chuckle a little and cock my head to the side. I don't want to call her a liar, but I want to make sure that she isn't thinking of a punch as flirting. Hell, _I_ almost had to punch her to get her to realize I'm flirting with her.

"What did Cauthrien do to you?". The elf leans in to whisper in my ear.

"She forced me to the ground, grabbed my hips, and mounted me like I was a bitch in heat. She even offered to "delay some paperwork" to stay and see to my "mental health".". I smirk a little and kiss her neck. I'll save the image of Ser Cauthrien dominating my lover for a later date.

"It's too bad I wasn't here. I would've loved to see that beast of a woman pounding you into the ground.". A gag from behind me tells me that I haven't whispered quiet enough, and that what I'm saying isn't appreciated by my audience. Sadly, Morrigan has a point for once. If I keep standing here and going back and forth with my love, then we'll be here all day until we're finally captured. We need to start heading towards the exit before the guards realize what's going on and try to stop us.

"Come on, we need to get out of here.". I let go of the elf and begin guiding her away. As we walk, I notice a chest near the entrance of the dungeons. I open it and find Tabri's equipment and all her belongings.

"Tabris!". My lover's armed and armored within a moment's notice. That's when I let her begin leading. I have my bow and Morrigan can change into a bear, but neither of us are wearing any armor. Besides, letting the warrior take the lead is always the safest bet. And, it turns out this time isn't any different. Nobody comes to fight us and we don't even see a trace of a living person. We leave the fortress without a single incident. As we go, my heart leaps.

 _Tabris is safe. Everything's going to be okay._


	58. Welcoming Hospice

**Tabris POV:**

Arl Eamon and Anora are awaiting me, Morrigan, and Leliana in one of the finer decorated rooms when we reach the estate. I take a seat with my companions on either side of me as Anora and Eamon sit down across the table from us. I start the conversation with the queen.

"Good to see you escaped while I was kneeling.". She nods and shows no remorse for fleeing.

"You did what you must and I did what I must. Besides, you looked rather fond of groveling at a woman's feet.". I smile and take a small jab that I know won't hurt either of us.

"I might be fond of groveling at women's feet, but there's only one that I love groveling for.". Leliana leans down and kisses the crown of my head to make sure Morrigan isn't mistaken for my love. Anora smiles at me as Eamon moves things along.

"We have Anora back with us, but now there's a problem in the Elven Alienage.".

 _Now's my chance. Now I can be the elf I was meant to be._

I do my best to sneer at Eamon.

"What did you _humans_ do to piss us off?". Eamon looks completely taken aback.

"There's a plague-". I interrupt him.

"Probably carried in by humans. I understand. I'll go and see what the plague is and the effects. I'll also check in and see if the unrest is caused by anything.". I stand and bow to Anora.

"Queenie.". I don't give Eamon even that as I turn and lead Morrigan and Leliana from the room. As we walk, I scream at the top of my lungs.

"DUNCAN!". The dog comes running and I stroke him behind his ears for being so cute. Then, my heart begins to flutter. I begin running and get to the gates of the alienage in less than a minute. I wait for my companions while trying to prepare myself. I'll be going back to my home. The one I left with Duncan for bringing down the hammer of justice upon rapist humans. I'll be returning with a woman. That much won't offend my father. He knew of my desire for other women. He ignored it for the longest time, but he never discouraged me.

Only I'll be returning with a human woman as my best friend, and a different human woman as my lover. I shudder a bit as Duncan catches up to me and licks my hand. For a brief second, I wish I were a dog and didn't have to deal with all this shit. Then, Leliana comes up and I decide being an elf is better than being a dog. A dog can't appreciate Leliana's beauty. Morrigan is the last to arrive.

"Alright, come on. Let us see where our fearless leader was born and raised.". I nod and lead them down the steps into the front of the alienage. It's exactly like I remember it. Ramshackle shacks thrown around in disorder, an odd stream or two of water and sewage here and there, and twisting paths through the chaos that only someone born here could ever master.

I lead us deeper into the alieange, past some elves beating a human senseless, and into the village square. I look around my familiar home and already see the problem. A once abandoned building is being guarded by two mages with a line of elves waiting outside it. Shianni is screaming at them and waving her hands. I don't even bother listening to what she's saying. I charge my cousin. Shianni howls when I pick her up and begins hitting me, then stops when I toss my helm off and show her it's me.

"Kallian!". I laugh and put my cousin down.

"Shianni!". We talk for quite a while. I show her the necklace with her face on it, the new scars I've gotten, and Duncan. Leliana and Morrigan hang back enough they aren't part of the conversation, but also so they aren't mistaken as not being with me. Shianni tells me about what she's been up to, how she's been dealing with the aftermath of her rape, and how the stray dogs we use to play with as kids have had puppies. Ultimately, though, we have to get down to business. I motion for Morrigan and Leliana to come closer. First, I introduce them.

"This is Morrigan. She's a mage, and one of my closest friend.". I hesitate for only a second before introducing Leliana. Thankfully, my love doesn't seem to have noticed and can't get hurt by me because of it.

"And this is Leliana. She's a rogue, and she's the love of my life.". Morrigan scoffs at her introduction, but Leliana waves and tries to be friendly.

"It's so nice to meet you! Kallian has told me so much about you.". Shianni smiles at Leliana.

"All good things I hope.". She turns her smile towards me.

"You're kidding?". My heart sinks and I shake my head. The laugh that leaves Shianni's lips doesn't help. Leliana comes up with something before I do.

"What's funny?". Shianni waves off Leliana's comment and keeps talking to me.

"You _hate_ humans! You use to throw rocks at their dogs in the marketplace from the entrance, then lead them down here and _steal_ them! Hell, then you'd go back and "find" them for the humans and demand a reward!". I remind her of something very, very important.

"I was a child then. Mother was still alive, and if you remember correctly she was the one who taught me how to steal them. I just always wanted to play with them for a bit. The dogs down here are mean, or they didn't have the energy to play with an active six-year-old.". Shianni reminds me of something even more important.

"When we were teenagers you'd throw rocks at the _people_. You'd beat them up and take their stuff to pawn!". I shrug because I know there's no use in denying it or saying I wouldn't do that now. I always loved mugging humans, and I'd mug a human I didn't know right now if I could. I do try to tell Shianni a little bit of the truth, though.

"I've found it in myself to prefer female humans over their male counterparts. Humans don't treat their women as equals like they'd like us to believe. They're oppressed in their own way.". Shianni looks at the two women flanking me.

"Is that why you're traveling with two women? To please your eyes?". I shrug.

"I'll be honest, if they weren't women I probably would never have given them a chance. But they are, so now they're my friend and lover.". Shianni seems to finally believe me.

"So, you actually love her? Neither of you are just fulfilling a fetish?". I shake my head and I'm certain Leliana is shaking her head behind me. Shianni keeps smiling at me.

"It's more than a little ironic you fell in love with a human. You know that, right cousin?". I nod and hold out my hand for Leliana. The bard comes forward and intertwines her fingers with mine. Shianni just keeps smiling that same beautiful smile she's always had.

"If you're both happy, then you have my blessing.". Shockingly, it's Leliana that Shianni offers some help to.

"If she ever treats you mean, then tell me and her other cousins. We'll be on her like hounds on a hog.". I scoff and Shianni shrugs at me.

"You and I both know you've been a little _violent_ with humans in the past. Leliana needs to know your elven family won't excuse you pushing that violence off on her.". Unsurprisingly, it's Morrigan that gets us back on track when she steps up beside me.

"Shianni, isn't there some problem you need our brave leader to fix? Some puppy stuck in a well or kitten in a tree?". I elbow Morrigan a little.

"Keep talking and there'll be a witch stuck in the woods.". Morrigan takes the joke of her abandonment well and laughs at me. Then, Shianni finally gets us back on track by explaining the situation to me.

"These Tevinter mages showed up and insisted that a plague that began needed to be quarantined and studied. There are also shortages of food and work, so everyone's dying from starvation or getting sick. We needed leaders like you and your father around, but you left and he was quarantined a while ago. Even the Elder was taken from us. Soris and I kept trying to act like you and told everyone what we honestly thought you would do in the situation, but nobody wanted to hear your advice after the fiasco at your wedding.". Leliana interrupts.

"You told me the wedding never happened.". I nod and hiss at her.

"Another time, but trust me when I said it didn't.". Leliana falls silent and I decide to ask Shianni a more important question.

"You said my father was taken?". She nods. Already, I know what I'm going to do.

"I fucking hate humans. Tevinter enslaves elves. Thus, I hate Tevinter humans even more. They have my father. So, I'm going to go around back, break in, and slaughter them all like dogs." Shianni throws back her head to laugh, then opens her arms. I find myself trapped in another hug by my cousin.

"Get the people to safety. I'm sure the mages will attack when they realize what's going on inside.". Shianni nods and pats me on the shoulder.

"Good luck, cousin. I doubt you'll need it.". I smile as I watch my cousin go over to the crowd again. Finally, I'm forced to go down a narrow alley to the back of the building that was once abandoned. A single male elf in elven armor with hair longer than mine is guarding the place. He's a race traitor, so I waste no time hacking him apart and watching his guts and blood spill out onto the ground and mess up my boots. I step over the corpse and enter the building. There are cots set up and a desk at the far end that looks like a place to check in, but not a single elf is in sight.

Obviously, this is a lie. The plague might be real, but this place isn't helping them. The guards and mages charging me already attest to the fact I'm right. I don't even hesitate or think as I slaughter these bastards like they deserve. I rip their guts from their stomachs, rend their heads from their necks, and saw them completely in half. Their blood washes over me and their sticky, soft insides squish beneath my boots. I revel in the battle and find myself purposely hacking them apart enough they spew blood in miniature fountains. Finally, the battle is over. I approach the desk and begin searching for any clue as to what's going on. I find my answer in the form of a key wrapped up in a note. I pocket the key and read the note. My hands are shaking by the end of it.

 _Veras, bring seven males and four females for the next shipment._

 _\- Caladrius_

I scream as I smash the nearest corpse's head in with my boot. I feel myself shacking as I tear through the hospice. I find the trapped elves shoved in a kennel in the back room. I unlock the cage and give them some advice.

"Get out of here. A war's starting.".


End file.
